My Life To Dream
by OfficiallyNonOfficial
Summary: Claire hasn't regained her memories, but one by one she is beginning to relive them through her dreams.  The more she discovers, the less clear everything becomes.Her reality seems to be spiraling into an oblivion where only one thing is certain: Alice...
1. Before There Was You

AN: HI. Flashbacks and dreams are in _italics _**.**

-I-

"_Don't get me wrong, we're grateful for what you did back there. But the people; they're scared."_

_Alice turned away from the sympathetic look Claire Redfield was sending her way. She did not want nor need anyone's sympathy or pity. "I don't blame them." She said dejectedly. How long had it been since she'd had some real human contact? Months? Years? She wasn't one to get emotional but… "People have a habit of dying around me." Matt. Kaplan. Rayne. Hell, even Spencer. Angie. They were all dead. _

_Claire's resolve faltered as she examined the woman resting against her jeep. She was rough around the edges, cold. But she could easily see the pain and the fear in her baby blue eyes. Her own heart broke a little. "Trust me, you're not the only one." The sand crunched under her feet as she marched away to find Carlos._

_Alice waited a few seconds before turning to watch Claire go. A little smirk pulled at her lips. She reminded her of Jill in some ways-they were both blunt and to the point. When they'd first met the ex STARS agent was less than friendly but she'd warmed up to her eventually. There was one key difference between these two women however. Jill was cold, calculated, and couldn't be bothered to care too much about someone she'd just met. Claire had a soft spot. Kmart was proof of that. These people were proof of that._

"_Your name," The redhead hesitated, eyes ticking between the vast expanse of ocean beneath them and the itchy, irritating rope binding her wrists, "is Alice… right?"_

_Alice's lips twitched but her expression remained as somber as ever. "She speaks."_

_Despite everything, found she was slightly amused by the entire situation… That is until her hazel eyes caught sight of the all the damage beneath them. She couldn't remember a damn thing. Not even her name. She hardly remembered waking up to find herself bound to a plane with this Alice person watching over her. "Look, I'm sorry about back there. I don't know what happened." She sighed. For a while after the effects of the drugs wore off she'd managed to convince herself to remain calm about the fact that she might as well be zombie herself. But now, not knowing anything at all? It was terrifying. "I don't even know what my name is."_

_Alice grimaced. She hadn't known Claire for very long before they were separated. But in those short three days they had bonded in a way not even she and Carlos had. Not even Jill. A pang in her chest made her realize she felt a lot more than just protective of the redhead. "Your name is Claire. Claire Redfield."_

"_Claire…" Claire tested the name. It felt right somehow, but she couldn't be sure. Then again, why would someone give her a fake name? It's not like it mattered anyways. Zombies didn't much care for proper introductions as far as she was concerned._

_Alice glanced at the controls, decided they were flying high enough and far enough from anything that might jeapordize them. She glanced over her shoulder, a frown on pouty lips. "Sound familiar?"_

"_Not really."_

_The ex umbrella agent turned. "You'll get used to it." She failed to mention whether she was referring to the name or the amnesia._

"_Perhaps you can cut me lose?" Claire ventured, adding a tinge of hope to her voice. She added a pleasant, white smile for effect but it was lost on the pilot's seat._

_A little amused scoff was her response. "I think we should get to know each other a little better first."_

_Claire slumped against her seat, defeated. She shook her head and stared out the window. She wasn't too disappointed seeing as she hadn't really expected Alice to cut her lose right off the bat. She bit her tongue and kept quiet, holding back something along the lines of 'Shouldn't you get to know people before you get kinky with the rope?'_

"…There's no sign of life here either. I have a strange feeling and I can't pinpoint it." Her eyes softened when she spotted Claire sitting on a log kicking rocks into the ocean. The redhead didn't look pleased about the fact that she was still bound. "Claire seems to be getting better. Whatever that thing was, the effects weren't permanent. She mentioned something about Arcadia a few hours ago. Her memory is coming back slowly." With a final sigh at the camera, she reached over and shut it off, taking her own seat atop a boulder on the shoreline.

Arcadia wasn't what it was supposed to be. The transmissions claimed they offered safety, security, shelter, food, and water. They claimed there was no infection. Where were THEY then? Where was the isolated little Alaskan town that was supposed to be the people's haven? She didn't understand. What she found was nothing more than a plane grave yard, nothing more than a beach and a fifteen mile strip of frozen land.

Frustrated, the ex bodyguard scratched at her head. Maybe she went to the wrong place? But what were the chances that Claire had landed in the exact same place? Of course she was in right place! There must have been at least fifty planes or more parked. Plus, someone had to have been there to drug Claire.

Claire…

The tough, spunky, witty redhead was not looking very well at the moment. Sure she was as lively as ever with her extensive, quite colorful vocabulary, and she'd threatened to beat her down more than once if she didn't untie her. But she looked thinner the last time she saw her, thinner and pale. The fire in her eyes that gave her goose bumps 18 months ago was fading.

Claire grumbled under her breath. She was starting to feel childish for complaining so much but could she blame her? For the past 18 months she was drugged and so far out of her mind she might as well have been dead. Her body was running simply on survival instincts. 18 months of fighting and struggling tend to make an already guarded girl just that much more… guarded. Her mind told her to keep an eye on Alice but something else -something she couldn't identify- told her Alice would never harm her. Still… being tied down was not her idea of a party.

"You know, I could slip out of this when you're asleep."

Alice raised a brow at her. A part of her wanted to knock her lights out because chances were she probably could slip out. A bigger part of her however was concerned.

"When's the last time you ate?" She asked, ignoring her previous comment. She stood up from her long and dusted her pants, checked her magnums, and casually made her way to the log Claire was occupying. She sat slowly, her eyes on the never ending ocean in front of her, but her senses were on high alert. Letting yourself become distracted in this world was asking to get killed. Even when there was no one around; it was dangerous.

As Claire made to protest, her body betrayed her. The very thought of food made her stomach growl and her head hurt simultaneously. Her face felt hot as she adverted her gaze from Alice's sparkling eyes.

She was beautiful; did she know? Her skin was fair, naturally pale and looked soft and supple. Her face was perfectly crafted to fit her slender nose and full lips. But more than anything- did she know how disturbing her eyes were? Claire shivered at the very thought of them. Alice was beautiful. And disturbing in her intensity.

"I-I don't remember."

"Here."

Claire's own brows lifted at the candy bar being waved in front of her. She chuckled as she shook her head. "I'd kill for a smoke though."

Alice set the bar in Claire's lap. It wasn't anything fancy but it was something. She could easily hunt down an animal. If there were any left. Where had she seen the last deer herd?… "Smoking is bad for you."

In Alaska the sun came and went in a fleeting moment. The heat it offered was something like a luxury that should be treated with the utmost gratitude. Alice recalled wishing there was a bit more shade in the day, but now the temperature was beginning to drop incredibly fast. She herself had a large coat to help keep her warm when she slept inside the cockpit but Claire was wearing a thin muscle shirt with a cut off tee. She had to wonder, how had she survived all this time in that wardrobe? Had the drugs made her oblivious to hunger, pain, and cold? That seemed to be the case.

"What were you before… before all of this happened?" Claire asked suddenly. The silence was beginning to make her nervous and uncomfortable. It had never bothered her before. Of course, that was before the world came to an end. She couldn't remember the last time she slept alone or in an open space.

Kmart. Was she alright? Was she even alive anymore? 18 months is a really long time and in this world (or what's left of it) anything can happen in the blink of an eye. The only reason she knew of Kmart was because Alice had informed her of their little blonde haired angel.

"I was a security guard at a high tech facility called The Hive." Alice answered after a while. Her tone said it wasn't a happy story. Hazel and blue watched the crackling, popping fire showing signs of dying down. The brunette sighed and threw some twigs into the flames, keeping it going for another ten minutes or so. "That life was so long ago it doesn't even feel like its mine anymore… The Hive was an underground research facility for Umbrella-"

Claire's eyes widened in shock "You-you worked for-"

"Umbrella." Alice's brows furrowed, "Yeah. I was head of security, well, Spencer and I were heads of security at a mansion. We had a fake marriage and everything. The mansion was a cover up for a secret passage that led to subway tunnel, which in turn led to The Hive." she watched the redhead from the corner of her eye. Claire looked very intrigued. And cold. "Here." She took her jacket and draped it over her pale arms. She looked as if she were about to protest then thought better about it.

"Thanks."

"Hmm."

"So what happened? With you I mean."

"Me?" The ex guard scoffed, her eyes boring into the fire. Her face was expressionless as shadows danced across it. "I was trying to bring Umbrella down. They were experimenting with viral weaponry. An environmentalist was looking to expose Umbrella and I agreed to help her. But on the day I was supposed to smuggle the sample, Spencer beat me to it. He broke a vial of the T-virus inside the facility. The Hive's primary defenses activated and everyone was killed… but you see, the T-virus didn't let them stay dead for long."

"Son of a bitch… that's how it all started, isn't it? This?" Claire bit her lip and fought back a shiver. She couldn't remember exactly where she was the day the world took a spiral down into hell but her brain kept forming a word. A name.

_Jesse…_

"A team of military agents came to the mansion and took me with them down into the Hive. Their objective was to find out what happened." Alice could recall every single detail of the nightmare that had been the Hive. If she'd known then what she knew now she would have been all too happy to die down there with Rayne or Kaplan. "They found out alright. The entire team of agents was killed save for two, Rayne and Kaplan. They were my friends but I couldn't save them."

An image of a bloodied, motionless young blonde boy flashed across Claire's mind. "We can't save everyone."

Had it been anyone else, Alice would have waved off her attempt to comfort her. But this was Claire. Her words and emotions were those of one who knew first hand. "In the end only I escaped, myself and this man named Matt. He was the brother of the woman I was helping. When we reached the mansion, we were ceased by Umbrella agents. They took Matt away and they sedated me."

The way Alice's voice faded, Claire guessed there was more to it. She waited patiently for her to continue.

"I don't know for how long they experimented on me with the T-virus. They injected me with the virus, then with anti virus, then with the virus again. It was a never ending cycle. They-"

Before she could stop herself, Claire had scooted over to Alice's side and taken her hand despite certain limitations. She squeezed the cold, petite hands in her own. She felt comforted by the fact that she was making some kind of contact with a human again. She'd almost been afraid this was all dream, that she'd wake up and find herself still trapped by the device, still alone.

"what did they do to you?' She whispered, as if someone could actually hear them.

Alice's hands trembled as she recalled everything she had been through. Before she was human again, these memories wouldn't have made her flinch. Now she felt all these emotions bubbling to the surface, threatening to break her. She was human alright, there was no other explanation for why she felt so vulnerable and weak.

"Isaacs managed to stop my heart a few times. After the third or fourth time it wasn't as bad. But I remember the first time it felt like… it felt like my body was being torn apart from the inside out. My heart stopped then my lungs felt like they were on fire. I gasped but no breath would come to me. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. All I could was watch. And feel." A moment passed. Claire got the feeling Alice was not used to showing herself like this. She didn't push it. She was sure if she could remember her own life, it would be something tragic, but nothing would come near to what Alice had suffered through. "When I finally came to my senses, the entire clinic was abandoned. I broke out of the lab and found the world had come to an end. There were crashed cars, abandoned, bloody, on fire. Everything was chaotic. I had no idea what was happening until I went for a little walk." She smirked sardonically at this. "It turns out the Umbrella Corporation felt the need to explore the Hive. They weren't planning on the levels of infections they encountered and the virus escaped out into Raccoon City. You know the rest."

Claire gave a nod of affirmation, then sighed. "Well, I used to know."

Alice gave her an apologetic look. "You should sleep. You need it."

Suddenly Claire felt very exhausted. Her lids were growing heavy and with the last remnants of the drugs in her system clearing she was beginning to feel every ache and pain, every little cut and break and bruise. Her arm automatically wrapped itself around her midsection, her side felt particularly tight and tender. She had noticed before, but it was slightly uncomfortable to breathe, maybe even painful.

"You're right." She stared at the ground. It looked hard and cold.

Alice, having followed her eyes, chuckled quietly. "I'll be right back." She said, jogging to the plane. She quickly dug through it and found what she sought. When she came back, she held a thick fur blanket and what looked like a sleeping bag in her arms. Kicking rocks and twigs away from a spot she deemed worthy, she laid out the sleeping bag then spread the blanket over it. "There you go."

Claire, who had watched Alice go about fixing her a bed for the night, felt very conscious. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"Someone has to keep a lookout. Get in."

Claire surprised herself. Instead of protesting, she obediently crawled to the sleeping bag and unceremoniously dropped herself on top of it. Instantly her body recognized this as something she hadn't felt in years and relaxed to the point of rendering her unconscious. Her eyes fluttered shut even as she fought to remain awake. "My god this feels good."

"Tomorrow we'll hit the stores. We need to find you something to eat." Alice spoke quietly, she knew Claire was just about ready to drop dead with exhaustion. She felt for her. She must be at least six years younger than her. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," she yawned, curling into a ball on her side out of instinct. She had the feeling she was the type of girl who didn't like to expose or show her weakness, had the feeling she was trying to make up for something be trying to be strong all the time. She shrugged at herself, there was no one here she had to be strong for. "Dizzy," she admitted, "freezing."

Alice watched her for a few minutes. She'd set the bag up near the fire, close enough to give her warmth but not close enough for her toll over and into the flames in her sleep. A little smile snuck onto her lips as Claire turned her back towards her and scooted closer towards the fire. She was lying in the fetal position, her head tucked to her chest, arms wrapped around herself. Snoring. It was a rather sophisticated sound really, barely hearable over the groaning of the fire. It was now Alice noticed how much of a kid Claire really was. No, not a kid. But young. Youthful. Something in her chest lurched catching sight of her trembling beneath the blanket.

"Claire?…" Nothing. "Claire?" She whispered softly in her ear, shaking her shoulder gently. She was out like a light. A genuine smile crossed her features. Lifting a corner of the blanket, she slipped into the sleeping bag as carefully as she could. Once she was settled, she cautiously wrapped her arm around the younger woman's waist and laid beside her. Almost at once the shaking stopped. Figures. She'd looked so comfortable and in command in the desert. Alice guessed Claire Redfield wasn't a girl of the cold. Truth be told, neither was she. Resting her head on her shoulder, she grabbed her gun with her free hand and laid on top of her hip. She'd meant what she said, someone had to keep watch, and that is exactly what she intended to do. "Rest easy, Claire. I'll take care of you."

Claire smiled to herself when she heard Alice's declaration. She felt safe in this woman's arms and she didn't know why. Why should she trust anyone when she couldn't even trust herself? But Alice… _she's so warm._

_Claire Redfield sauntered into her anatomy classroom fifteen minutes late that morning. Her hair, which she usually kept in a ponytail, was loose and wind tousled from the motorcycle ride to the university. Her usual attire of a black hooded sweat short and jeans were replaced by a pair of black leather pants and a form fitting red underamor shirt beneath a denim motorcycle jacket. Her boots clunked heavily on the tiles as she smiled sweetly at her professor and made her way to her desk. _

"_Wow.." The guy sitting next to her checked her out unabashedly. "Looking good, Redfield."_

_Claire KNEW she looked good, even with a bruise on her jaw and a cut in her eyebrow. "Too bad I can't say the same for you." She said in a flippant manner._

"_Ms. Redfield," her professor cleared his throat, wiping his glasses madly with a cloth. "Why, do tell, were you late to my class?"_

_Damn… Think fast. It would be easy enough to lie to the professor, say she was hung-over or something cool like that. Truth was, she had spent the night following a lead. Apparently one of Chris's ex teammates was in town and she was hoping to speak with him. She'd spent half the night looking for this guy and when she finally found him, he gave her the run around. She winced just thinking about how close she'd been to getting hit by a train. A second later and she would have been splattered on the road like a coat of paint. She wasn't all that lucky however. The train had clipped her tire and sent her tail spinning. She'd been wearing her helmet and armored jacket but she was still injured. She spent the better part of her morning getting stitched up by her less than friendly, elusive roommate._

"_Well you see, Professor Slater I-"_

"_Hold that thought." Professor Slater held a finger to his lips as he reached into his coat pocket for his cell phone._

_Claire sighed in relief. Her excuse would have gotten her suspended for such. Throwing herself into her seat, she only slightly hissed when a jolt of pain shot through her back. Nothing like a little road burn for breakfast. It didn't matter, she was a motorcycle junkie and something like this only made her crave it more._

"_Claire Redfield?"_

_Her brows shot up into her hairline. The entire class along with her turned their heads towards the classroom entrance. Standing at the door was her roommate. Usually the girl had night classes and worked during the day. Or so she claimed. Claire had never actually seen her on campus nor had she ever told her where it was exactly that she worked at. Her brilliant grey eyes scanned the entire room before falling on her. Once they'd locked eyes, Claire knew something was awfully wrong._

"_What are you doing here?" _

_By the time she spoke, her roommate had already made her way over to her desk. She gathered her freshly discarded bag, slung it over her shoulder, then grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her seat. "We have to get out of here."_

_Her roommate had pulled her all the way down to the door before her brain kicked in and she stepped on the brakes. Ripping her hand free from the frowning brunette, she took a step back and folded her arms across her chest. "What's the deal here?"_

"_Look," her roomie said, sounding exasperated, "I don't have time to explain it right now, Claire, just come with me."_

_Claire lifted a brow, not budging. Strange rumors had gone around the school about this girl before. She was just too mysterious, too quiet, and too beautiful. Or so she'd heard. "Look, whatever your name is, I'm sure you had a little too much to drink last night and I'm sure with a few Tylenol-"_

"_Class…"_

_Professor Slater's phone slipped from his hand. It clashed nosily to the ground, garnering the attention of all ninety seven students plus one. All eyes were on him as he reached for the remote on his table and slowly pointed it at the TV._

_Claire's brows furrowed as she took glanced at the TV. "What in the hell…"_

'_Still no explanation for this wave of killing-' the screen showed a cop pointing a gun at a man's chest, squeezing the trigger. The bullet splattered blood on the road. The shot man looked down at his chest with a crooked, bloodied expression, then promptly growled and launched himself at the police officer as if the bullet had merely inconvenienced him. 'A deadly crime spree with no end.' Several more people mimicked the man and his actions. Right before the TV shot off, the camera man pointed at a woman tangling her hand into a little girl's long blonde hair, yanking it back, and digging her teeth into her exposed neck. The little girl shrieked the gurgled as the woman yanked her head back and pulled a chunk of flesh the size of her fist from the little girl's throat._

_The entire classroom was silent. Then chaos erupted all around them. Students jumped from their seats and made to run down the stairs and to the door. A young girl tripped and accidentally pushed another girl down the stairs. She screamed as her fellow classmates ignored her and trampled her in their haste to reach the exit. Even Professor Slater rushed for the door in a frenzy, shoving both men and women alike out of his way. In the halls students and faculty alike were screaming and cursing, pushing and shoving in an attempt to get outside of the overcrowded building. It wasn't long before a misunderstanding had two males pitted against each other, throwing punches and wild swings at each other. Soon three more joined the fit and before long entire pits of students were fighting each other. The teachers didn't bother to stop the fighting. In fact, they joined in the violence, kicking and sucker punching whoever got in the way between them and the doors._

_As all of this happened, Claire witnessed the mayhem from the safety of a hill several hundred yards away. Her roommate had managed to shove her out of the classroom and down the hall soon after she'd seen the first kill on TV. After seeing that man attack the officer she hadn't had it in her to fight the stronger brunette. Now they were standing at a hill far away from the main building of the university, watching as a horde of people tripped over each other in their haste to get away. If they came too close, the two of them would simply crawl back onto her roommates own Ducati and drive away._

"_My god… what's going on…" She couldn't believe her eyes. Blood already stained the marble walkway that led to the doors. The sound of shattering glass made her jump. Someone had thrown a man through the glass doors. _

"_The end of the world." Her roommate said seriously, walking up to her side. Her jet black hair hung over her eyes, but Claire could see her scoping the area out like a hawk searching for prey. "Come on," she said after a moment, "we have to get back to the dorm. We'll be safe there."_

_Claire nodded slowly, forcing herself to look away from the scene unfolding behind her. It was like something out of a nightmare or a horror movie. "Thanks," she said quietly, numbly. She climbed onto the bike and wrapped her arms around the slender waist of her savior. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."_

_The bike roared as she squeezed the gas pedal. They shot through the grass at high speeds, leaving all the commotion behind them. Soon the only thing that could be heard was the howling of the wind as they drove down the country road towards the dorms. Claire recognized it as the road she usally took. Being a speed junkie and all, this road was perfect for her because there was hardly any traffic. Or cops. The open road stretched out ahead of them with only the mountains in their view. The university was located towards the back of Raccoon City, while the dorms were smacked just on the edge of town. _

_Taking in a deep breath, Claire rested her head against the back of her savior's shoulder, her arms tightening around her as it hit her just what had transpired. _

"_W-what were those things?" She asked in a horrified whisper. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest, pumping adrenaline throw her body at a rate that made her feel slightly sick to her stomach._

"_Jesse."_

_Claire frowned, her brows furrowing. "What?" She hollered over the wind. They came to a stop at the first red light district. Her roomie removed her helmet and shook out her dark glossy mane. Looking over her shoulder, she offered Claire a white, timid smile. _

"_My name," she gestured, a pink tint to her cheeks. "is Jesse. Jesse Valentine."_

"_Jesse Valentine?" Claire whispered to herself, it sounded familiar. "Valentine_**…"**

Claire bolted upright breathing heavily. Sweat soaked her shirt and hair despite the freezing temperatures, and she felt like she was suffocating. She blinked then groaned and grabbed her head. A searing, white hot pain stabbed through her temples, making her feel nauseous, disoriented. Was that a dream? Memories?

"Claire?" Alice's concerned toned of voice snapped Claire out of her mind trip. She looked over her shoulder and found the brunette looking at her intently, a little trickle of what she would guess was fear in her clear blue eyes. "Are you alright?"

The redhead grimaced, grabbing her head. "Ow," she whimpered, settling back down into the sleeping bag. Her heart felt as if it would jump out of her chest any second now. Either that or it would break every single one of her ribs before it began to calm down. "What was that?" She thought out loud.

Alice couldn't decide how to react to Claire. "A dream?" she offered helpfully, laying down as well. She hadn't been sleeping, but had fallen into a medative state. The second Claire's peaceful breathing got erratic she shot upright and began shaking her awake.

"Yeah… I guess…" She wasn't so sure. "It's fucking freezing."

Instantly, Alice's arms wrapped around her again. Her own body sought Alice's warmth and moved of its own accord until she curled up into her side, her head resting on the older woman's chest. Alice's heart was beating a little faster than what would be considered normal but it was nothing compared to her own. Was it because of the cold? The dream? The memories? Was she getting sick? All of the above? Or was there an answer she just didn't want to think about?

"Thank you," she sighed, feeling herself begin to relax once more. She felt… less afraid knowing someone was there to make sure she was okay.

"Anytime…. Claire?"

A slight of hazel revealed itself to Alice. She'd never noticed before, but Claire's eyes were actually a very weird shade of green, not hazel. They were stunning, perfectly complimented her red hair and fair complexion.

"What is it?"

"Who's Jesse?" She meant to ask why she would mention 'Valentine' in her dreams. Did she know Jill? However, it still hurt to think the name, forget actually saying it out loud. That was an old wound that was still too easy to tear open again.

Claire scooted closer to Alice, seeking to steal as much warmth from her as possible. The headache was beginning to fade into a dull throb but her heart had yet to settle down enough for her to fall asleep. She didn't want to sleep. She HAD to sleep though. Her body was begging her to give it some much needed rest. She hadn't allowed herself to truly sleep in 18 months. When you're alone, you always sleep with one eye open.

"Jesse… I…. I have no idea." She said honestly, shutting her eyes. Her mind was racing, going a million miles an hours but the rest of her was so close to falling off the edge she could feel herself teetering, struggling to stay put. "I really have no clue."

**-I-**

**AN: I've always thought Jill was the hottest thing alive and I still do. However, the more I watch RE the more I realize I like Claire a lot because her character just makes me want to hug her. And she's gorgeous too. So behold, I'm writing a Claire/Alice fic (cus there's nowhere near enough fanfics of this pair… come to think of it, there's a lack of RE fics in general.) with a lil Claire/Jesse and Alice/Jill. The story is this: Claire hasn't regained her memories and finds she relives them when she falls asleep. As more of her memories reveal themselves to her she realizes she has feelings for Alice. Some of this will follow the movie but I changed a few things to fit my story. Plz review, let me know what you think. Flames are, eh, not very fun but go ahead and leave them. Just don't freak out when I flame back at you. (and trust me I will.) Haters make me famous.**

**Cheers!**


	2. Rise

"_You know, if you think about it, everybody is two faced in this life."_

_Two women were sitting quietly on a luscious green rolling hill watching the strong breeze create ripples across the surface of a crystal clear stream. They were surrounded by mountains, trees, and a waterfall. In every direction something blocked them from view but their thoughts were far from trying to hide. It was as if the scenery before them just begged for silence and respect. It was a spot one of the women had found earlier on in the year, and a spot she often came to bask in the beauty that nature had to offer._

_True, she wasn't the quiet or shy type of girl, but she cherished her solitude and in a city like Raccoon solitude was a rare thing. Especially with Umbrella agents lurking beneath every stone._

_Claire drank in the sight of the waterfall for a second longer then with a burdened sigh lifted herself from the boulder she previously occupied. Jesse glanced at her through a curtain of black hair and smiled awkwardly at her. Claire raised a brow but kept her mouth shut. For the most part._

"_What do you mean everyone is two faced? Sometimes what you see is what you get." _

_For as crazy as this peculiar brunette seemed when she'd met her, it turned out she was rather timid, deep, and sensitive-something Claire perceived as a weakness in herself. Jesse didn't seem the least bit bothered by it though._

"_Like you for example," the youngest Valentine gestured, "you seem so die hard and unforgiving. Yet you're not like that, not really. After all, why else would this be your secret spot?" _

_Claire kicked a stray pebble into the stream, watching it splash then sink to the bottom at an alarming rate. Sometimes she felt like she was sinking to the bottom of a pit. A bottomless pit at that. There was never an end in sight, just darkness. Suddenly the rays of sunlight broke through the canopy of trees and reflected off of the water. _

"_The sun's going to set soon."_

"_Hmm." Jesse climbed to her feet, tugging her leather jacket tighter around herself. The temperature was far from being cold. In fact, there was a heat wave ravaging the city. But their current situation made her feel uneasy, made a chill run down her spine and her heart beat faster. "Right. So if you were your brother, where would you be?" The brunette asked, motioning to their motorcycles with her head._

"_That's easy." For the first time that day, Claire smiled. She hated running away like some scared little girl. She wanted to be in the action, like she knew her brother would be. The only reason she hadn't headed straight into town was because Jesse had convinced her otherwise. _

_Jesse chuckled to herself, playing absently with her keys. "Smack dab right in the middle of it?"_

"_Smack dab right in the middle of it." She confirmed._

_-_I-

In her life before the world was… well, before it became this, Alice Abernathy was a woman of leisure. How in the world did a security guard get off lazing around all day? Her life as the head of Umbrella Security was a life of luxury. Eight figure salary, company house, vehicles, credit cars, companies,; she was living the life of a spy. And Spencer… Her life was luxurious. Fabricated. It's why she was trying so damn hard to destroy it.

Somethings though she truly did miss. Like staying bed late into the afternoon doing nothin but resting. How she wished she hadn't it for granted

As she rolled on to her side, Alice instantly missed the redhead that had fallen asleep beside her the night before. The blanket, the sleeping bag, and her back still held some remanents of her warmth and she snuggled into it. If she ignored the sound of the ocean waves crashing onto the shore, the biting cold, and the alarms going off inside her head, she could actually close her eyes and pretend she was laying in her bed, having just woken to the sound of Spencer humming softly to himself as he cooked breakfast. _Or Claire…_

Claire. Just when she thought she'd figured the girl out, she went and mentioned 'Valentine.' Her breath frosted when she sighed. She wanted so badly to just hide underneath the covers and stay there a little longer.

After Claire fell asleep again, she was unable to fall back to sleep as easily. Crawling out of the sleeping bag, she snuck off into the darkness and decided it would put her mind at ease if she investigated the area. It turned out, she'd landed them on a small island just off to the side of British Colombia. Twenty miles worth of land, no humans, no animals; NO INFECTION or UMBRELLA AGENTS. By the time she came back the first streaks of light across the sky announced the oncoming sunrise. She was surprised to find Claire still soundly asleep in the bag.

"Are you planning on getting up today?"

Alice opened an eye and did her best to glare. She shot upright in the sleeping bag, her face of mask of pleasant surprise. "What are you doing?"

Claire glared at the waves of water threatening to knock her over as she did her best to balance her weight and the weight of a large, thick log over her shoulders. Two shoelaces were tied to both ends, and on both ends several large fish were strung up. "What does it look like I'm doing?" She scoffed, running away from a rather large wave that would have undoubtedly swept her off her feet. "I'm catching breakfast." She panted, stomping her way over to their campsite. She laid her catch down next to the fire pit before gracefully depositing herself on the sleeping bag. She ducked behind her hair and blushed; Alice had yet to look away. "What?" The brunette had the most curious look in her eyes. Nostalgia?

"What else can you do?" The ex security guard stretched until her back gave a satisfactory pop. Reaching back over her head with her hands, she rolled backwards and pushed herself up into a handstand. Now that her powers were gone she had to make sure she was in decent condition. Every little cut had the potential to get infected, every bruise had the potential to slow her down, every break and fracture was one break closer to the inevitable one that would leave her helpless on the floor. Her thoughts were morbid, but this was her reality.

"What do you mean?"

"You fly planes, you kick ass, you fish.. You cook." She added the last part in a teasing tone of voice. Something told her Claire wouldn't be all that fond of having her know that last bit. She seemed to have miss the teasing part however.

"I.." pale hands fidgeted with a sharpened stick in her hands. "I ride motorcycles." a shrugg. "I think."

"You think?" Alice sat beside her. After her incident within the Hive she never really bothered trying to become close with the people she met. They came and they went in the blink of an eye. Making friends was asking for trouble, becoming attached came with an almost one hundred percent chance of faliure and pain. She didn't need that. Didn't want that. Physcially she was as strong as an ox, a highly drugged, genetically enhanced ox. But when it came to her feelings and emotions she was- she was unsure. _Unconfident is more like it. _

However, everything seemed different around Claire. Seeing her so open and vunereable made her want to be strong and open with her. For her. _I'll kick myself for this later. Right now I just-_

"I'm not sure." Came the soft reply. Her fingers brushed through her flawless hair in a nervous gesture Alice recognized all too well. The girl was frustrated, angry, and scared. Could she blame her? She would have given up long ago herself but one thing always kept her going. The faces of those who lost their lives. Long ago she promised herself she would keep going if only for them. She'd yet to break that promise. "Last night I had a dream. I'm not sure if it was a dream or a memory. I saw myself in Raccoon City with this girl."

"Valentine?"

Claire's brows dipped low over her eyes. It was only now Alice noticed how intense Claire looked. As a matter of fact, if she thought about it a little bit, Claire ALWAYS looked intense, like she was always thinking. And if her frown was any indication, then her thoughts were not pleasant. "Yeah. Do you know her?"

Alice looked as if she'd been punched in the stomach. "I didn't know you were acquainted with Jill." The very name made her feel ill. Was it guilt? Something else perhaps? Whatever it was, it ate at her very soul. There was not a moment that went by without her conscious being plagued by the sight of their last goodbye.

"I'm not." Claire stated. "But apparently I knew her sister. My roommate, her name was Jesse Valentine."

_Jill. _"I wasn't aware Jill had a sister."

"I wasn't aware I had a brother." She grimaced. What else didn't she know? "Alice?"

The way Claire called her name, she had no choice but to turn and look at her. Once she'd thought she was heartless. Now she felt as if something inside of her was slowly tearing apart. Claire's eyes were red and unshed tears shone in them. Not for the first time in her life, Alice felt completely, utterly, helpless.

She was crying. Hot tears were stinging her eyes. All kinds of emotions bubbled up inside her throat making it hard to breathe. She felt she shouldn't be crying, not here, not with this woman.

Who else was there?

No one.

"I feel like I'm on a bad acid trip. I'm a stranger to myself and I feel so desperate. I'm," she paused and took a shaky breath, "I'm fucking terrified. I don't know what to do with myself." The tears were coming full force now. She felt weak for it, but she could neither help it nor stop it. "It's too much. It's all just too much. I remember a few things, but it's like you said before, it doesn't feel like they're my memories… Who am I, Alice?"

In this cruel, unpredictable new world one would be extremely lucky to find someone. A companion. Alice never realized that. Until now. God! How lonely she'd felt before. For five long years she denied herself the one thing she'd always desired the most; someone to be there. She thought she'd found that in Jill. Then Jill went and got herself arrested. True, she did it for her. But Alice never even hesitated to escape. Needless to say, it was different with Claire. She WANTED to protect her, more so than the others.

Reaching her arm around the angry redhead's shoulders, she pulled her against her side, despite Claire's physical protest. She tensed against her, but it didn't matter. They both needed this.

"I can't tell you who you are Claire," she cooed, smoothing her surprisingly soft hair away from her face. Seeing someone so strong break like this only made the gravity of their situation that much more worse. Realistic.

In her mind she somehow managed to convince herself that it wasn't all so bad. After all, finally, she was human again. She never thought she would miss her powers. Without her powers life wasn't so dry and cut. Protecting herself was hard enough. Protecting Claire? It was fast becoming number one priority.

"Why?" Claire whimpered, once again confirming Alice's suspicions that she was a lot younger than she'd let on.

_This girl led a convoy? _She found the very thought of it incredulous now.

"Because I don't even know who I am anymore."

_Looks like we're stuck in the same boat. _The voice from her dreams made Claire shiver. It made her feel peaceful. Or was that Alice's arms around her? HER voice? It wasn't right, to be comforted by a stranger like this. But in her world, EVERYONE was a stranger. Even herself.

-I-

Alice was seated in the cockpit of her plane, her ever vigilant eyes on the lookout for any signs of life. Human life. The urgency to find someone else alive had grown over the past couple of hours due to the silence between herself and the redhead. Uncomfortable was the word she was looking for. She laughed bitterly. Who would have thought she would be living in the end of the world and feeling uncomfortable of all things because a girl refused to speak to her after a heart to heart. It was a perfectly normal reaction, or so she assumed. Claire would speak to her when she was ready.

Then why was she so restless? Her grip on the control stick was so tight it left indentions on her palms. Willing herself to relax, she witnessed the color slowly return to her hands.

Ten more minutes of this silence later and Alice was sweating. The T-Virus in her body had made her immune to emotions such as fear, concern, sympathy, and love. That wasn't a problem for her considering the last man she'd supposedly loved left her for dead in an underground facility filled with the undead. It would have been her grave. The last two guys she grew… fond of were dead now. And the woman she'd felt for was dead as far as she was concerned. Through all of this she had never broken.

Her palms were sweaty, her breath hitched, her mind was reeling with so many thoughts and one way or another they each found their way back to the redhead sitting behind her.

"Are you okay?" She wondered, taking a chance and glancing over her shoulder. Claire flashed her an uncertain smile. Funny how she didn't even think about not smiling back.

"Fine. A bit tired. You?"

Feeling relieved, Alice gave a curt nod. "Just fine." _Now, _she added silently. How she'd missed feeling like this, how she'd missed caring.

Claire was painfully aware of how nervous Alice seemed to be all of a sudden. She might not remember what her damn name was, but her body certainly remember what it felt like to be caressed. That feeling of someone stroking her had triggered something in her mind. She could recognize a crush a mile away. She shook her head. She didn't peg Alice for the type to have a crush. After all, crushes were for little kids or something. Right?

For the longest time she watched the ground beneath her swap from plain old dirt and sand to forests, then mountains, and finally the pacific ocean. It was beautiful and made her forgot the horror that was the remains of cities they'd flown over before. At first her hand mind wasn't capable of processing what she was seeing. Cities that were once great, magnificent, were nothing more than the foundations for some impressive sand dunes. Fire and smoke reached up towards the sky like crooked black fingers begging to be rescued. Sometimes this vile, horrid creatures became visible when Alice flew well below the recommended height. She would close her eyes and will away the images. Several times Alice caught her. Those times she would lift the plane so high into the sky the world was nothing more than a speck in the distance. When the ocean came into view, Alice dropped altitude, having figured out she rather enjoyed the sight of the water.

Alice was a sweet woman; Claire didn't need more than half a brain cell to figure that much out. Shutting her eyes, she let the sound of the engine and the rushing wind wash over her. Up here in the sky things didn't seem quite as bad. She actually felt calm enough to risk a little shut eye, something that was nearly impossible to accomplish on the ground. The fear of these evil, flesh eating creatures stumbling around looking for a meal did not sit well with her. Every little sound alerted her and made her heart race. If Alice spoke the truth, then that meant the zombies had been around for five years plus now. That in turn meant as the leader of a convoy of survivors, she should have been more than just used to them; they should be nothing more than a small obstacle in her way.

Why was she more frightened of the idea of zombies than she was at the fact that she was drugged and kept in a state of panic for more than a year? There was something there, lingering at the back of her mind. Fortunately for herself, she was just too wiped out to care too much.

She wasn't even fully asleep when images and voices began bombarding her. She only hoped this time around her memories would reveal a little something more about herself other than the fact that she obviously loved motorcycles and had a fetish for leather.

"Hmm." Claire smirked, not that leather fetishes and motorcycles were a bad thing. _I must be a total badass. _Then she remembered sobbing uncontrollably on Alice's shoulder. _Yeah, some badass you are Claire Redfield, some badass you-_

"_You're a badass." Claire commented, her grip around Jesse's waist tightening then relaxing as they cleared a curb at high speeds. With Jesse's expert maneuvering (much to her total displeasure) they'd made it clear across Raccoon City without much of a hassle. Whatever was going on, it had yet to reach as far back as the University. _

_Jesse grinned, knowing fully well Claire couldn't see her face hidden beneath her helmet. It was just as good because she swore to god she was blushing madly. Why did this girl keep making her blush? She'd been complimented many times by many pretty faces, how was this any different? _

"_You handle a motorcycle pretty well yourself." She rasped. She leaned heavily to her right, her elbow and knee nearly scrapping the pavement as she took the sharp turn. "Who taught you how to ride?"_

"_Chris."_

"_Your brother." _

"_How'd you know?"_

"_You say his name the same way I say my sister's." The brunette shrugged, "And Jill might have mentioned him once or twice. He sounds like a real winner."_

"_Thanks." Claire mentally slapped herself. The thought occurred to her that maybe in the midst of all this crazy crap happening, Chris might have returned to Raccoon City. Hell, he might even be looking for her. The first place he would think to look for her would be her dorm, then the University. If they moved fast enough maybe they could catch him before he left. "How long until we get to the dorms?"_

_Jesse frowned out of pure habit. Her grip on the handles increased, propelling them even faster down the mostly abandoned street. Something wasn't right. The news report had shown a street barricaded by cops and SWAT teams attempting to shoot down what seemed like hundreds of raging civilians. Where was everybody? She didn't bother answering Claire's question. Just up ahead on the side of the road were the buildings that served as dorms for Raccoon City University. _

_Before the bike ever came to a complete stop, Claire had already leapt and tucked into a roll. She landed smoothly on her feet and broke into a sprint as soon as her boots hit the ground. She ignored Jesse's calls for her to wait, covering the distance from the motorcycle to the front doors in ten seconds flat. Her heart raced as she jerked the door open and ran inside. It never occurred to her that the building was unnaturally quiet and empty until she was startled by the own sound of her boots echoing through the staircase. She paused for just a second, her breath catching in her throat. _

_Something similar to the sound of moaning was coming from the elevator shaft. Of course, what with this being a dorm building and all, she automatically assumed some of her companions were up to some engaging extra curricular activities._

"_Get a room!" She shouted when the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. She was determined to get to her room and check whether or not Chris was there. On some level she knew this was just reckless wishing on her part. If Chris was indeed in Raccoon City then his unit would have been deployed to the scene of the crime. Sister or no sister, Chris still had a job to do. The strangest of feelings compelled her to come back to the dorms though._

_In a few short seconds, Claire had cleared three floors worth of dorms made it to her floor without any in convinces, which in itself was an inconvenience. The last time she checked she lived in a building with eighty other students and prior experience told her not all eighty students actually went to class today. Finally she stopped before the door to her room. _

"_Shit…" the die hard redhead muttered hotly under her breath. The door appeared to have been kicked in. The doorknob was still in tact, but the side of the door was splintered and so obviously forced. She swallowed hard, wishing she hadn't left her gun inside of the room. Usually she carried the old school Smith & Wesson on her person at all times. Running late for class this morning however, she figured she could drop by and grab it during her lunch break. Being the sister of a well known STARS agents made for a very interesting life. Every once in a while a psycho would break free and come looking for revenge at her doorstep. The last guy that actually made it past the threshold had a bullet shaped hole permanently etched into his face._

_Narrowing her eyes, Claire lightly tapped the door with the tip of her boot, creating a space wide enough for her to squeeze through undetected. All these years of dealing with the aftermath of Chris's missions had made her an excellent hand to hand combatant. Her stealth skills were amongst the best of the STARS ranks (compliments of Chris Redfield) and her gun skills were not to be trifled with. She was one mean lean ass kicking machine. Hand her a motorcycle any day and she would leave mouths wide open. At the moment, a good old fashioned baseball bat would serve her purposes._

_Her body tensed as she took a step inside of her room. Whoever broke into her room had no intentions of being smart about it. Drawers were over turned and emptied, the contents laying on the floor in scattered heaps. Her vanity mirror lay shattered into a million little pieces on the ground. They obviously weren't very smart; they'd cut themselves on the broken mirror and left a puddle of blood to stain through the standard white carpet of the dorm. She made a face at the crimson liquid, her eyes following a trail that led to the kitchen. _

"_Fuck," she breathed, the muscles in her legs coiling, ready to spring. Her fists formed tight fists at her sides. Whoever broke in wasn't expecting her back so soon because they were currently rummaging through her refrigerator like animals. Back tracking, Claire prayed her gun was still in its proper place. Yes! The college girl hissed, her gun was safe and sound right where'd she left it. Her body angled towards the kitchen, legs set into a deep crouch, she leaned to her side and fumbled with the blankets and pillows on her bed until her fingers met the cold, comforting metal of her weapon. Snatching it up she quickly aimed it towards the shadow that had appeared by the door and pulled the trigger back._

_At once the noise in the kitchen ceased. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her head. He or she had head her. Spreading her legs to shoulder width, she waited patiently, finger on the trigger ready to bust some caps shoulder the intruder wish to deal with this in a less than civilized manner._

"_Look buddy, whoever you are, I have a gun in my hands so just come out slowly and we'll deal with this like mature people." She had to admit it, her voice gave away none of the unease she felt. She wished she'd left one of the lights on in her room. The entire place was covered in dark shadows save for a bit of sunlight flittering through the open window in the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed at the sound of dragging feet. The intruder was making his way towards her at a very slow pace. Maybe this guy was smart and wouldn't put up a fight, she would hate to have to explain to the dean why there was another body in her room. _

_The inturder dragged his feet as he made his way painfully slow from the kitchen into the small area designated as the dining room. His entire body was shrouded in darkness but not even that was enough to keep the bile from rising in Claire's throat when she set eyes on the bloody gash on his head. He took another step and stumbled slightly._

"_Hey!" She barked, gesturing with the gun, "Stop right there." He took another step, intent on defying her. "I said stop right there!" Another step. Then another. And another. His body was completely in the room now. Even in the dim light Claire could see with every step he took he left a trail of blood behind him. The burning in her throat was becoming unbearable. "I said fucking stop!" She called one last time. Then she promptly opened fire. _

_The man groaned and fell to one knee. Claire expected him to scream and curse and foam at the mouth; the slug went clean through the kneecap. Instead the man made a noise that resembled that of a dying animal's and bolted to his feet. Claire moved to shoot again but he was way faster than should have been possible. Her breath left her lungs in a whoosh as the man rammed into her and knocked her to the floor. This up close and personal, it was hard for the suddenly horrified Claire Redfield to miss the ghastly, sunken eyed man pinning her to the floor. _

_She froze._

_His face was white as a sheet, his eyes were glazed over and just… empty. It was as if the light had gone out. There was no longer a soul residing within in this man. The noise he made as his gnashed his teeth in an attempt to bite her face confirmed as much. Her strength began leaving her body as her mind reeled. This couldn't be! They didn't exist. It wasn't possible!_

"_Help!" her voice cracked under the pressure of the man's cold, dead hands wrapping snuggly around her throat. With a sick certainty, Claire realized she was going to die…_

_Tucking her legs in towards her body, she pushed with all her might and managed to put a little space between herself and the reanimated corpse on top of her. It was all she needed. Wiggling her foot around, she planted her heavy boot against the man's chest, squeezed her abs and gave a monster shove. The creature wailed as it launched into the air, flying back several feet before being stopped by the wall that separated the living room from the dining room. Claire, too amazed and shocked by what she saw, noticed a little too late that the creature had already recovered and was charging right for her._

_Her head snapped to the side, her hands patting the floor around her in search for her gun. Her heart pounding, blood boiling, she looked up and felt the biggest wave of desperation wash over her. _

_The corpse launched itself into the air, hands spread and mouth wide open displaying decaying, maggot infested teeth. Her stomach lurched and her heart dropped. This wasn't the way she pictured herself dying._

_A shot rang out, echoing through the desolate halls of the building. The creature gave a final pitiful shriek before its head seemingly implode on its shoulders. Black blood splattered all across the room staining the walls, furniture, ground, and ceiling. When his body hit the floor it resembled a whole lot of ground beef absently discarded._

_Claire's eyes flew open as she scrambled away from the mess, whimpering and shaking. Setting eyes on her savior she never thought she would be this elated to see Jesse's striking grey eyes on her. _

_Jesse inhaled deeply, willing herself to calm down before shoving her own gun into the holster around her chest. Kneeling beside the redhead, she gripped her shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes. "Claire… are you hurt?" She spoke slowly and clearly, the girl looked to be in shock._

"_wh-wh-what is that THING?" She panted, shaking her head at the very sight. "what is it?"_

"_I need you to take a deep breath and calm down." Jesse instructed. She'd seen this before. Some people didn't handle surprises as well as others. Some people went completely insane, lost their minds. For reasons she didn't quite understand, she hoped Claire wasn't one of these people. But she couldn't be sure. "Were you injured?"_

_Claire stared at the collected brunette for what seemed forever. It felt as if everything were passing by in slow motion around her. "I… I'm fine." She managed to say, though she felt the distinct sting of a sprained wrist. "Jesse, what's going on. What is that thing?" her eyes flew to the pile of mutilated flesh on the ground. She just barely made it to turn her head away before the contents of her stomach emptied out on the ground. _

_The 21 year old music major pressed her back against the wall and slid down until she was seated beside her equally stunned roommate. "I have no fucking idea. But it-it isn't human." Her adrenaline was beginning to wear off. She shoved her violently shaking hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. "It's not human." _

_-I-_

(CPOV)

When I awoke it was not unlike the last time. My clothes were drenched in sweat, my heart felt like a warm drum inside of my chest, and my thoughts and emotions were so twisted I feared there was no hope to ever escape from the knots. It took me a few minutes to gather my bearings but I managed to calm myself down enough to take a peek around.

Alice was nowhere to be seen which put an unshakable sense of dread upon me. Judging from my dreams I can probably assume (correctly) that I was a real harass back in my day, one of those tough chicks that rides motorcycles and picks fights with hordes of guys and evades the cops. One bad to the bone chick. Then why do I seem so fragile? Even then. Why does waking up alone make me feel like I've a knife made of ice embedded deep within my chest?

Stretching out my sore, stiff limbs, I climb out into the pilot seat, slip the top off, then climb out and onto the left wing. We've stopped again. Obviously. Only this time, Alice chose a hell of a spot to land us in. I can't believe I slept through this! We parked on top of some building in a wasteland of a city. The roof is all broken up and whatnot. Several people run to greet us as I leap off of the wing and join Alice.

A muscular, sporty looking black man in a muscle shirt and track pants is the first to greet us. He extends his hands to Alice, putting what I guess he thinks is a charming smile. "Luther West." He introduces himself.

Alice's eyes are quick and effective but I don't miss the way they roam over this Luther guy. She gets this little half smirk on her lips and a look in her eyes that I can only describe as intrigue. "Alice."

"Luther West." He says again, offering his hand to me. I glare at him and shove past him. I don't like him. I hear Alice say something in my defense. "That was a nice landing." He remarks, his feet kicking loose dirt and gravel around.

"I think technically it's called a crash."

Alice and Luther continue talking amongst themselves ignoring the others' questions interrogations. A pang in my chest stops me dead in my tracks. This is the first time I've been around so many people since I woke up from drug induced trance. My body stiffens with this realization. I don't trust anybody around. Any one of these people could turn on a dime and become a potential threat to me. To Alice. My hand automatically reaches for the gun tucked away in the waistband of my pants.

No…

The Claire in my dreams always has a gun to protect herself with. This Claire doesn't even have a knife. I have nothing to defend myself with should anything happen. I have nothing but my hands and a faint hope that Alice will come through with the promise she made me.

I guess these dreams are somewhat helpful. I found out something about myself today: I hate having to depend on other people. But more than that I hate not being able to defend those around me, those I deem important.

My eyes tick over to the pale brunette several feet beside me. This is the farthest I've been from since we met. I instantly miss her. God! How did this happen? What does this even mean? And did I mention I really, REALLY don't like Luther West?

-I-

"_Chris isn't here." Claire mentioned after she was certain she wouldn't vomit. Her stomach still felt like the wash cycle but it wasn't as bad anymore. "He must be at the station."_

_Jesse gave a weak nod. "We probably should have checked there first. I noticed it was too damn quiet when I came in here. The students that were here probably got evacuated by the police." She pushed herself to her feet, offering her hand to Claire, "We should head that way."_

_Claire gratefully took the hand and stood up as well. "Whoa," she breathed, her vision going black. Her knees buckled beneath her but Jesse was quick to straighten her. She found herself pressed against her roommate's chest, their combined heavy breathing tousling their hair. _

"_Are you sure you're okay?" The brunette looked every bit as concerned as she sounded, making Claire feel slightly uncomfortable. _

"_Fine," she smiled weakly, taking a step back. "I'm fine now. Thanks."_

"_O-okay." Jesse relented. She spun on her heels, shoving the door open. "Let's go."_

_Claire followed behind her, only sparing the faintest of looks over her shoulder for the pile of rotten meat laying on the ground. Was it her, or was Jesse blushing madly? It was probably just her, why would Jesse be blushing anyway? _

"_Wait a minute."_

_Jesse said nothing, simply waited at the door, refusing to look at the redhead. She was absolutely smitten Claire. So what else was new? Once or twice she mentioned Claire to Jill over the phone. Her older sister always found the need to tease her about her situation. Jill thought it was so easy to just walk up to a girl, say hi, and run back to bed together. Well maybe it was. For Jill. For Jesse it was totally different. Leaning against the doorjamb, she crossed her arms over her chest and her right ankle over the left, adopting her classic rebel pose. She watched as Claire turned on the TV._

'_Well James I can assure you while some of us out there might be skeptical I am forced to speak my mind.' A reporter said gravelly, her voice strained._

'_And what is that?'_

'_Quite simply, it seems as if the dead are rising.' A pause. 'In the book of Revelation it speaks of the dead and how they will rise and walk the earth. James, we're looking at the end of the wor-'_

_A black brow rose, skeptical. She was trying to keep her cool but all these people and their opinions were starting to affect her. An infection? The dead rising? "What do you think?"_

_Claire crouched and took her gun from the floor. She cocked the weapon and held it pointing upwards, a glint in her eyes that quite frankly made Jesse feel oh so small. "The dead will rise, Jess. And you and I? Well hell, you and I are putting them back down in the ground."_

_-I-_

_**AN: Hey guys, hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I think I mentioned this before but if I didn't, I'm using bits and pieces of the movie, bits and pieces of the games and novels, but most of it (like 70% of this) is what ever my warped little mind comes up with. I would appreciate some ideas as to what you guys would like to read next, I always enjoy incorporating some of the reader's input into my fics just so ya know. Thanks. RR. **_

_**Cheers!**_


	3. We're the monsters

**December 29****th****, 2006. 2300 Hours**.

_Perfect. Everything is-was- perfect. In Raccoon City. What a joke! Raccoon City held an image of perfection that was hard to compete with. The roads were perfectly paved, every house was kept at its top condition, front yards and lawns were lusciously green and alive. The schools were internationally known for their academics. The population consisted of mostly scientists, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and police. _

_And Umbrella._

_And zombies, flesh eating, hunger crazed animals with a lust for blood. Perfect they said? I don't know the meaning of the fucking word. I don't know what perfect is._

_But I know what near perfection is. My nails scrap softly-absently- over a fragile, pale shoulder, my eyes staring at the naked body beside me, but not really seeing it. SHE is nearly perfect. Then again, in this life, anything that doesn't involve zombies, corrupt agents, or mutated man-eating flesh monsters is perfect. The irony here? She's probably the most involved with all of that than anyone left alive._

"_You're awake?" Her softly spoken words tell me she doesn't wish to break me from my thoughts. Leaning over her shoulder, I give her a distracted smile in response. Really it's more of a grimace than a smile._

_I never sleep. Not anymore. I can't. My mind is stuck in a loop. My body is exhausted and near breaking point but my mind is running circles around me. Carlos and LJ have warned me repeatedly that I need to rest, that I won't be any good to them if I can't fight. I always roll my eyes at the incompetent men; I could fight better than them with both my arms and a foot tied behind my back. I just need to stop thinking so much._

_And that's exactly what I can't stop doing. For every little action I take, a million thoughts come back to haunt me. Now for instance. Back in the civilized world people always worried about the image they upheld. Do I look good? Should I wear this or that? What do they think of me? Did I impress him? Should I eat this? Drink that? Do this? DO that? It was all about appearances and reputation. Not for me. Not then, not now. In order to survive you have take what you want, what you need, and have no qualms about it. There's no room for courtesy or fairness or emotions. Life is like a stone, cold and hard._

"_You should go back to sleep." I sigh tiredly, drinking in the sight of her lithe, naked form stretched out on the desert ground. _

_Death Valley. I have absolutely no idea how we ended up in this place but I like it. It kind of reminds me of her. Beautiful, mysterious, dangerous. _

_A killer in disguise._

"_What is going on in that head of yours?" She says in a way that shows she's thinking out loud; not something she does very often. As a matter of fact, I dare say she's even more aloof than I am. I suddenly find myself subject to her scrutinizing gaze. _

"_Nothing…"_

"_You're lying."_

_I am lying._

_It always amazed me just how perceptive she could be. She could look at my impassive face for hours and never figure me out. I have a hell of a poker face. But one look into my eyes and she can practically read me like an open book. I blame my mother for that. I blame my father for how stoic I try to be all the time. _

_If I could tell her what I was feeling, I would. I would tell her that I'm tired of running, that I'm slowly losing my will to fight. Because I have nothing to fight for. I would tell her that every time we fuck, I'm dying just a little bit more inside. Because I'm becoming attached to her when I know she's elusive. Like a fleeting memory. She's like sand between my fingers, impossible to hold forever. I feel like I'm dying, and every single day I come a little closer to keeling over like a dog into my grave. _

_But I don't have to tell her, do I? She knows. I know she knows. I can see it. _

"_Kiss me?" My voice is as strong and indifferent as ever. So why does it sound like I'm begging her? Pleading her. I won't lie about this, whatever this is. "I need you," I breathe, shutting my eyes to block her image. It's a no go. I see her in my head. "I need you inside of me." _

_Her lips -surprisingly soft and sweet for such a tough woman- press themselves against the hollow of my throat, the weight of her body suddenly on top of mine making me painfully aware of everything around me. Our discarded clothes and jackets make our makeshift bed, but the roughness of the desert floor still stings my back. The cold air cools the sweat on my brow before it even has the chance to fully break. _

"_I know you do."_

_My body trembles and stiffens at the sensation her fingers cause inside of me. I can't explain how… relieved I feel. It's insane. It isn't right. I feel a physical relief-like dipping my hot body in a cool pool of water-from her touch. _

_I recall driving through the ruined streets of Raccoon City several months ago. I recall a quiet conversation that wasn't quiet enough for me not to catch it. I didn't know it then, but already I felt something so incredibly strong for this woman._

_Right now I just need the comfort of having a warm body pressed against me. I need to feel something other than nothing. My lips part and form a silent cry, my eyes squeezed shut, my body locked in an arch. I need to feel alive and Alice is the only one who does that for me. Does she understand how desperate I am? How hopeless I feel? I feel like something horrible is going to happen and fucking her is the only way I can make myself forget. _

_Like now. She kisses me hotly, passionately, sating my hunger, clearing my mind._

"_I want you…"_

"_Getting what you want isn't always what's best for you."_

"_You can make my wildest dreams come true."_

_She paused, her dark eyes taking in every detail. Something in her expression scared me. But EVERYTHING about myself scared me._

"_And I can unleash your darkest nightmares. Jill, I'm dangerous. I'm a danger to everyone. I'm a danger to you." She laid beside me, her lips crashing so hard into mine I tasted blood. _

_Whose was it? At this point, it was anyone's guess._

_I don't know what is happening anymore. Time has no meaning anymore. The hours, days, and weeks blend together and become one big gray blur before me. I'm riding at high velocity. Alice is a stone wall in my path. I WILL crash and burn. _

_A scream rips itself free from deep inside my chest. A kaleidoscope flashes behind my closed lids, my lungs momentarily deprived of oxygen and my mind blissfully devoid of anything. My orgasm sends me reeling into a place of nothingness. Is this hell? Heaven can't possibly hurt this good._

_In this state of mind and emotion it's easy for me to realize certain things that would have escaped my notice otherwise._

_I've already crashed._

_Now I'm simply waiting for the burn._

_-o-_

_They were moving again. Staying too long in once place was a death sentence for anyone, even skilled, competent combatants like themselves. LJ spoke animatedly to Carlos ad he drove them through the deserted, war torn streets of downtown Detroit. Angela slept peacefully in the very back of the vehicle, her head resting on top of a backpack turned pillow. There was a small smile on her face; she must be having a sweet dream. _

_Jill sighed. She envied the little girl's ability to lose all worry in the shelter of her sub consciousness. She looked so peaceful, so normal; everything she had never been. Saying that she missed it would be a lie, it's impossible to me something you've never had. But a part of her wished she could go back and time and have it._

"_How much longer until we reach the gun shops?" Alice inquired. The silence between herself and Jill didn't bother her in the least bit, but it wasn't her idea of a field trip. The sooner she could get out there and stretch her legs, the better. Truth be told she felt like a caged wild animal. Even before the Raccoon City incident it had always been her and Spencer. Now there was Carlos, LJ, Angela, and last but certainly not least, Jill Valentine. She now carried the responsibility of taking care of these people whether they knew it or not. It went unsaid. _

"_Maybe," the ex pimp glanced at his fancy gold and diamond watch, "in about… now." He grinned at the rearview mirror. He was excited about getting his hands on some guns as well having lost his customs a long time ago. _

_As soon as the SUV stopped, Alice, Carlos, and Jill all simultaneously leapt out. They couldn't have gotten out any faster if they'd tried. LJ gave them a funny look, "Does that mean I have to stay with the kid?"_

_Carlos smirked, patting his back. "Duty calls."_

"_Yeah right, sure…. Mother fuckin bitch." _

"_Be nice." Carlos scolded, dropping in line behind Jill and Alice._

_Jill's blood was boiling with anticipation, her mounting excitement making her twitchy. This is what she always looked forward to. Action. The hunt. The kill. No one could best her at her element. No one human that is. She was the best of the best, she did what she did well. Her guns whistled as she twirled them round her fingers. Detroit was just another devastated city turned ghost town; just another name on the long list. The streets were filled with the shells of vehicles, garbage, discarded weapons, and every now and then, a body or two remained. Her eyes were trained particularly on a gruesome scene to her left. A lone child zombie wailed as it crawled through across the cracked pavement. Jill swallowed. She was a trained professional and as such she was taught to never let these things get to her. But… that kids couldn't be more than 18 months old. Her stomach flopped. The death blow was easy to discern despite several other bloody wounds. Half of his jaw was visible where the flesh was torn away from his face._

_Alice caught sight of the child too. Having lost so many people, she took it in with an air of indifference. Not that she was a complete cold, heartless bitch, but there was nothing she could do for that child. "There's no one in there anymore," she said solemnly, for Carlos's and Jill's benefit, "that's just a shell."_

_Jill ripped her eyes away from the street, instead busying herself with looking through the display windows of the stores they passed. "We should stop here on the way back; get some food for Angela."_

_As fate would have it, it turns out Angela took quite the liking to Jill. Sometimes she'd glare at the sky and ask why. The rising STARS agent was anything but the motherly type. Don't get her wrong, she disliked kids a little less than she disliked criminals. Most times. A ghost of smile graced her cracked lips. Angela was one cool kid. She reminded her of someone she._

_Within three minutes of their departure from the SUV, the three companions reached the gun store they had their eye on with no complications at all. As always, Alice took point, followed by Jill and then Carlos. The lead brunette trained her gun ahead of her, crouched and ready to spring into action. Jill lowered herself to knee, adopting the shooting position with ease. The plan was simple. Go in, get the guns, ammo, a first aid kit if there was one. Get out. _

"_Jill, I want you to cover us. Carlos? You help me get the guns and ammo."_

"_Right." Olivera went straight to work, pulling four heavy duty duffel bags off of the racks and slinging them over his shoulders. His dark eyes concentrated mainly on his task, but he couldn't help jumping at every noise, couldn't help inspecting every dark corner the sunlight didn't reach. Being cautious was the only reason he was still alive._

_Taking two bags for herself, Alice stalked to the glass display at the front of the shop. It appeared the door leading to the back had been bolted shut. She could easily kick it in. But that would mean making noise, and noise around here these parts led to certain death more often then not. She would have to do without a shotgun a little longer. "Hmm." Her brows rose in interest. The display case offered a fine selection of pistols, automatics and such, but the guns the caught her eyes were the twin silver plated magnums. Her heart sped up. Those babies could do serious damage. Closing her eyes and ducking her face into her shoulder, she reeled her fist back then let it fly. _

_The glass shattered instantly beneath the force of the blow, sending shards like little pieces of diamonds sailing through the air. The noise startled Jill and Carlos, prompting them to slide into defensive stance. Until they realized she had caused such the disturbance. She offered them both a sheepish smile which Carlos returned and Jill, well Jill just glared._

_Mumbling hotly to herself under her breath, Jill Valentine moved away from the front of the store, from the view of the others. Her heart raced a little fast, a cols sweat trickling down the small of her back. A sudden sense of doom made her mouth feel cotton dry. Detroit was a big city-it was impossible for just one zombie to be out and about. Unless something or someone took them out. The highly skilled officers moved through the isles with the grace and precision that came with years of extreme training. Her heavy boots hardly made a sound as she moved about._

_She felt sick earlier on, nothing too bad, just dizzy, a little nauseous. Symptoms like those she easily disregarded. Any number of things could make her feel like she had the hang over from hell. But now she wasn't so sure. She licked her lips, frowning at her thoughts. She didn't like where they were headed._

"_Alice!"_

_Alice spun at the hiss. Her magnums already loaded and pointed. "What?"_

_Jill flicked her coal black bangs out of her face. She was in desperate need of a hair cut (she was in desperate need of a haircut!) Unsettling blue eyes pierced the air. "It's too quiet."_

_The softness with which she spoke alarmed Alice. Shit! She should have seen it coming! Of course it was too quiet; Umbrella was always quiet right before they struck. "Carlos-"_

"_Alice…" _

_She flinched. That voice was all too familiar. The voice that haunted her nightmares was hardly something she would forget. It belonged to the same man who made her the freak she was now. All sense of logic flew out the window. She only had eyes for him; Doctor Isaacs. He might as well have been the devil himself standing there in an Umbrella lab coat, one hand on his hip while the other held Carlos at gun point. Point blank range. Why hadn't she sensed them? More Umbrella lackeys marched around and surrounded the outside of the small gun shop, machine guns held at the ready. Alice swallowed. Isaacs smirked cockily, like every other villain she'd crossed._

"_Alice." He said her name sweetly, in a way that reminded Alice of an owner calling welcoming his run away pet. Her stomach lurched with anger. "My you've given us quite the challenge."_

_Why did they always want to make conversation? Was there a handbook she didn't know about?_

_Isaacs lifted a brow, gesturing with the gun at her. "Drop your weapons." His tone said he meant business. Beady eyes followed the high caliber guns until they hit the ground. "This is the end of the line." Now he frowned. "Where's the other one?"_

"_I don't know what you're talking about." She lied easily. "How did you find me?" _

_Isaacs scoffed. He was bloody brilliant fucking doctor; did she really think she was distracting him? "Did you really think I would release you just like that? Your Umbrella's most prized possession."_

_A thick sludge like substance pumped through Alice's veins. Her anger amplified the effects. "How did you find me?" Had Jill reached LJ and Angela yet? Where they driving away as they spoke? She could deal with Carlos being caught. Escaping from within the clutches of Umbrella was nothing new to her. She'd done it three times already, nothing would stop her from getting her freedom. But she found the thought of Angela and Jill being captured absolutely horrifying. Jill was no delicate little girl, that woman could kick ass with the best of them. But…_

"_Satellite." Isaacs tapped his foot impatiently. He quickly grew tired of this. "Now be a good pet and come with us quietly. " He eyed Carlos with a look of disgust. "If you don't put up a fight, I'll even let your friends go."_

"_I have a better idea…"_

_Alice smirked, the look on the horrid doctor's face filled her with sick pleasure. Those wide eyes filled with fear, those blue eyes like daggers keeping him in place. _

"_Valentine." Isaacs spat. He detested the woman. For years she her blasted nosy partner Chris Redfield had made noise and pointed the finger at Umbrella. Chairman Wesker was willing to pay a rather nice sum for their heads. "Figures you would still be with her. You always need someone to save you. You're so pathetic."_

_Jill's grip on the gun tightened, eyes blazing. "Keep talking."_

"_Oh? Did I hurt the little girl's feelings?" The corrupt doctor was relentless. He barked a laugh, trying his best to seem unaffected. As the man who followed these fugitives' every move, he knew exactly what they were capable of. Put himself in this situation was similar to diving into shark infested waters. He licked his wounds. Either of the two women would be more than willing to put a bullet in his head. "That's what she thinks of you, you know. My Alice-"_

_Jill pistol whipped the back of the man's head. She sneered savagely. So Isaacs did bleed? How much, she wondered. The temptation to find out was almost too much to resist. "Don't. Call. Her. That."_

_Isaacs lifted a hand to his bleeding head. His gun slipped from his fingers and fell harmlessly to the ground. Alice bent down and collected her weapons, her eyes never leaving Jill's. This situation was one she had tried so damn hard to avoid. Jill was a loose cannon. Dangerous._

"_I-I forgot," Isaacs growled, his face twisted in pain and anger. "you're her bitch!"_

_Jill saw red. "What… did you…"_

"_Tell me, how have you been feeling lately?"_

_Alice and Jill exchanged a look. The latter of the two jammed her gun roughly into the doctor's back. "Speak."_

"_Let me guess" he continued as if there weren't a gun aimed at him. "You can't sleep, you can't eat. You're always hot and shaky. Your thoughts are violent… You're infected."_

_His words truck Alice like a physical blow. Jill paled eight before her eyes. Carlos stomped his way over to the doctor, yanking him out of Jill's grip, training his own gun on him. "What do you mean she's infected? She hasn't been bitten… Right?"_

_Jill blinked the angry tears away. "No…"_

_Carlos felt torn. Jill said no, but her eyes told a different story. "When were you bitten?"_

"_I told you, I wasn't bitten." She said harshly, whirling on Carlos. "Why would I lie?"_

_Alice shook her head in an attempt to get her thoughts on track. Her heart dropped. Jill's red eyes were furrowed in confusion. The expression on her face was that of someone betrayed, hurt. Accusing. "She wasn't bitten."_

"_It was you." The stunned brunette whispered, her arm falling limply to her side. She'd taken a wild guess the second after she started feeling weird. Different. But to actually have this information confirmed. She felt sick to her stomach._

"_Jill, please-"_

"_YOU." Jill snarled, referring to Isaacs, "You have the anti virus. Where is it?"_

_Isaac's sneer said it all. He wouldn't give it to them. He wanted to sit back and watch them suffer with a bag of popcorn in his lap. "None of you are leaving here. Not alive."_

"_We'll see about that."_

_-I-_

Krystal cocked her head to the side and eyed the new comer with the curiosity of a kitten. She sent Luther a look to which he responded with a similar gesture of his own.

"Is your friend alright?" She ventured, giving the redhead a desperate look. She truly wanted Alice to be the savior they were all waiting for.

Claire had spent the best part of the hour pushing macaroni around a plate with her fork. Alice and Luther were engaged in some conversation she couldn't be bothered to listen to. She didn't notice when the brunette went silent. Until Krystal pointed it out. She shrugged.

"I have no idea."

"But…"

Claire's brow arched. "But what?" She challenged. She didn't like any of these people. She could smell their desperation in the air. Desperate people were the most dangerous kind. They didn't care about anything but saving themselves and they had no qualms about it. They would kill if they had to. Alice didn't recognize the threat. She did. She especially hated the smooth talking Luther, and the skittish, shady Bennett. The poor little Asian boy didn't even register in her radar and Krystal, while she looked athletic and competent, didn't come off as much of a threat.

Basically, Claire was looking for any and every excuse to leave this group of stragglers. Hell, she would rather make conversation with one of the overgrown rats in the cells. They probably had more character than this bunch. She would more than likely enjoy a rodent's company over these strangers.

"Sh-she's your friend."

Something Krystal said made Claire jolt out of her seat. Grabbing a gun from the pile on the center of the table, she stomped away.

Luther and the offending girl looked at each other, their eyes ticking from the spaced out brunette to the aggravated redhead's retreating back. Within seconds she was lost to the dark shadows of the prison. "What did I say?"

What did she say indeed. Claire couldn't make up her mind. She felt offended by a simple question yet she didn't know what it was that she found so offending about it. Krystal's question was legit. Since they arrived they'd been pretty much inseparable. It was as if Alice were afraid to let her let her out of her sight.

She wasn't a baby, and she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"Damn it."

Why the hell was she complaining? The moment Alice left her side she felt so lonely she was overwhelmed by it. Not that she would ever mention it. She still didn't know who she was but her personality was returning to her. She hated being weak, hated being taken care of and treated like a poor little girl that would break.

Didn't they know she was already broken?

-I-

_Alice peered through the cracked, filthy window of Mikey's van and heaved a heart breaking sigh. The sun had barely come up but already the others were up and about moving their belongings from one truck to another. She could see Carlos breaking down the perimeter and somewhere in the distance Kmart spoke animatedly with LJ. If she looked passed all the weapons and the wary, dulled eyed faces of the survivors she could lie to herself and pretend they were just out for a little gathering at the park. A very hot, dry, scorpion infested, sand ridden park. Letting the shades fall back into place, she laid back down. _

_Her eyes fell upon the sleeping face of Claire Redfield. She wasn't much for emotions and expressions, but she truly believed their compromising positions deserved at least a perked brow. _

"_Claire?" She called. The others were up and about alright. The light tapping at the door announced to her the presence of Kmart- the girl had a distinctive form of knocking that Alice had picked up on. Soon Carlos would grow inpatient and come knocking as well. She didn't care nor mind if Kmart knew, but she had the feeling Carlos would be hurt. And what of Claire's wishes? Maybe she wasn't so keen on letting the entire world -it might as well be the entire world- know that she shacked up with the freak. Yes. She saw the way people looked at her, didn't miss the way the avoided her. They thought she was a freak. And with good reason._

_A finger traced the crease that had formed between her brows, the touch so gentle, so light she could convince herself it wasn't real. That it was a dream. _

_How sadistic of her. _

"_Whatever you're thinking," baby soft lips replaced her finger, "stop it."_

_Alice breathed a sigh of relief, her thoughts were so bad they gave her headaches. Craning her neck, she met Claire's lips with her own. Sparks were flying. Not really, but if actual sparks flew when passion rose and lust intensified the van would have caught on fire._

"_I can't help it."_

_Claire watched a volley of emotions flash across pale green eyes. Alice's eyes reminded her of a stormy ocean, their sheer beauty could not hide or sugarcoat the storm. Still, she could get lost in them forever. Drown in them._

"_They think I'm a freak."_

"_What do you care what they think?" Claire was truly curious. She'd never cared what total complete strangers thought. She didn't give a damn. _

"_I just-I don't know why."_

_Sitting up, Claire pulled Alice against her chest, running her fingers through the sandy brown curls, resting her chin top of her head. "I think you're absolutely fucking amazing." She said honestly, trying her hardest to ignore all the crazy sensations Alice's naked body caused her. _

_Those calloused strong hands on her body, her hot mouth on her hard, pert nipples. And her lips! Full, hungry lips claiming her…_

"_Alice… I-" They both jumped when incessant banging knocked them straight out of their reverie. Claire flashed Alice a goofy, affectionate smile, combing her fingers through her hair. "Think if we ignore them they'll leave?"_

_Alice reached for her clothes. Giving her the LOOK. _

"_Claire!" Kmart screeched, banging harder on the screen door. "I know you're awake! I can hear you whispering!" The blonde teenager accused. _

_Claire slapped her palm to her head, turning a deep shade of red. Had the others heard that? She wasn't ashamed nor embarrassed, but she could just hear all the teasing. Alaska was a really long drive. Carlos and LJ were going to have a field trip. _

"_I'm sorry," she apologized, smirking despite the heat in her face._

_Alice laughed. God it felt so good to laugh! "Claire y-you're so red."_

"_Nice," she blushed harder. "I just met you and you're already teasing me."_

"_I like it."_

"_You like seeing me embarrassed?"_

"_No," she pushed away the stray red hair. "Red looks good on you."_

_Claire bit her lip, suddenly bashful. She leaned into Alice's hand, basking in this rare little moment of peace. They couldn't afford to have moments like this, not in this world, not if they wanted to survive. _

_But she was grateful for it. Cherished it. _

"_I don't know what's happening, Alice. But I don't want this to end."_

_-I-_

Picking an empty cell block, she trudged on inside, dropping herself in a very unlady like manner into a more or less clean looking cot. She scowled. The springs were digging into her back, the chipped paint fell into her eyes. Just great.

The heavy thumping of feet made alerted her to the presence of someone just outside her cell. "What ever you have to say, it better be good."

"Sorry."

The redhead shut her eyes. "Angel."

"The others are worried about you and your friend." He stated, leaning against the bars. The cells were not locked, but there was no way he was intrude upon the woman's personal space. Her being inside of the cage suited her. She seemed untouchable.

Claire made a sound that resembled the word, 'oh.' "I appreciate the sentiment…"

Angel chuckled to himself, holding onto the steel bars to keep himself upright. Through the faint light cast by the torches on the walls he could easily make out a rather unpleasant sneer aimed at the ceiling. "I know people like you."

Her defenses slid into place. Without her consent, her body tensed and coiled, her hands clenching at her sides, nostrils flaring. "You don't know a damn thing about me."

"Okay," he said soothingly, raising his hands in surrender although he knew she was paying him no mind. "Okay. You're right. I shouldn't have-"

"You're right," she cut him off, "you shouldn't have." Turning on her side, she gave her back to the solider, effectively ending their conversation.

Angel sighed, deflated. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, slinking away.

Just when she thought she'd gotten rid of him, Claire recognized the sound of boots clunking on the metal steps then approaching her cell.

"Listen, dude, I really don't want to hear it from you."

"Claire?"

Claire peered into the dark over her shoulder. Alice's slender figure pressed itself into the far wall. She could feel her eyes on her, could feel her thinking.

"Alice." She greeted in a neutral tone.

"The others said you'd left in a hurry."

"Not really. I don't like being around other people."

She stiffened. Was that her way of telling her to go away? "Am I bothering you?"

"No!" Claire's voice was laced with urgency as she turned over, casting pleading eyes at Alice. "You don't bother me. I-I… you don't bother me." She hated how pitifully she sounded. But she wasn't so pigheaded that she wouldn't admit she wanted her to stay. She NEEDED her to stay.

Alice understood at once what it was Claire was trying to communicate to her. Sliding the steel bar door into place, she removed her gun holsters and dropped the bag with her weapons on the floor. She moved slowly towards the bed, painfully of aware of Claire's eyes watching her every move. She slid into the cot and stretched herself out as Claire scooted towards the wall.

No more words were shared between them. Words were trivial -in Alice's opinion- and only served to make things a lot more complicated than they should be. Words could be molded. Words could turn to lies. But their raw emotions couldn't lie. She knew her jerky movements and unsteady eyes gave her away the same way Claire's stiff body beside her and rapidly rising and falling chest gave her away. She was nervous, not because of Claire's own nerves but because her memories of Jill had only made everything that much more confusing. And clear at the same time.

A sudden sense of longing overcame her. Her adrenaline from fight and flight was beginning to wear off, leaving her too exhausted to do anything but think and remember. How fitting that Claire couldn't remember anything while she remembered everything. For instance, she recalled how they'd made plans to build a little cabin once they settled down in Arcadia, a place that could be just theirs where no one would bother them.

It hit Alice like a slap to face and she whimpered; Claire didn't remember anything. She didn't remember her life before the virus ravaged the world or her family. She didn't remember her friends, or the things she'd done, nor the faces of those she came to hold dear. Worst of all, she didn't remember Kmart.

_She doesn't remember me. _

The thought scared Alice. Claire had forgotten the one night she dropped her defenses and just let herself be led, let herself touch and be touched, kiss and be kissed. It was outrageous. She hadn't forgotten how Claire had cried her name, how she'd felt, or how she promised she would never hurt her.

_It's not her fault._

"Claire?"

"Hmm?" The redhead yawned beside her, beginning to relax enough to at least close her eyes. Alice's presence soothed her very soul. A very troubled soul at that.

"Can I hold you?"

The request caught her off guard. For a moment she held her breath and listened to the sound of her heart going crazy inside of her chest. "No. You can't hold me."

The disappointment she felt nearly made her want to cry. She was surprised when she felt Claire's arms wrapping around her, pulling her close to the redhead's warm body. Her own body adjusted, molded itself to fit perfectly against Claire's front.

"But I can hold YOU." her breath tickled the hair on the back of her neck and sent pleasant spikes of warmth all throughout her body. Her eyes fluttered shut, her tired mind and body willingly giving into the illusion of safety created by Claire's muscular, feminine arms holding her tight.

Claire nuzzled Alice's velvety black hair, her lids growing extremely heavy. All of her thoughts and concerns -which did nothing but plague her at every waking moment- slipped away, leaving her blissfully ignorant. For tonight, all she wanted to do was sleep and not dream. And if she did dream, she wanted those dreams to be filled with something other than blood, pain, tears, and heart broken gazes. She wanted them to be filled with something familiar, and warm, and comfortable. Something strong, yet gentle and loving. Something- No. Someone. Someone who cared and who would protect her.

She wanted them to be filled with Alice.

"_Sh-she's your friend." _She understood now why Krystal's words stung so badly. The girl couldn't have been more wrong.

'She's not my friend. She's MORE than a friend. I have the feeling she always has been.'

-I-

_Alice turned around and watched, defeat written on her features, as Jill valiantly fought off of an onslaught of Umbrella Officers, buying her and Carlos time to escape to the SUV. She still held Isaacs at gunpoint but her gun hand shook violently, blood dripping from her fingers, sweat staining her brow._

"_I can take them." Alice protested. A few more feet and they would all be home free. Except Jill. "Jill , you have to come."_

_A pale, shaky Jill flashed a twisted perverse version of her once charming, breath taking smile. "All this time we killed the zombies and blamed them for everything wrong that happened. The zombies; they're the monsters, right?" _

_Alice shook her head, Jill's words rang with a sense of truth but she couldn't care less. "Jill… please…"_

"_Do you want to know something funny, Alice?" Her finger twitched around the trigger, her grip on Isaacs wavering. She deliberately ignored her lover's pleas. This hurt so badly but she had to do this. She couldn't allow Alice to sacrifice herself for them again. Besides, she could do a much better job of protecting the others than she could. "They're not the monsters. Humans; they're the monsters. They created these things and they had no say so in this. Alice," her tone demanded her utmost, undivided attention. Grey eyes dulled and became unfocused. "WE'RE the monsters."_

_Carlos latched onto Alice's wrist, pulling her with him away from their surrounded comrade. "If you get caught then it was all for nothing." He whispered harshly, dragging her the last few feet to the SUV. With Isaacs held at gunpoint, his men would not dare follow them. Not now. Ripping the door open, he mouthed a silent 'watch your back' to the brunette. She never failed to surprise him. Not even in the end. He shoved Alice's head down and pushed her into the back seat. "Drive." He ordered LJ._

_Alice stared emotionlessly at the gun in her hand. It was the latest silver plated Desert Eagle model in top working condition. One way or another Jill found a way to shove it into her hands before it all got out of hand. Clutching the gun to her chest she stared lifelessly at Carlos and LJ. Olivera's once comforting smile left her feeling cold and empty. There truly was nothing left in this world that could ever make her smile again._

_Jill breathed a little easier now that the others were safe, even if it was only momentarily. Dropping her gun to the ground, she raised her hands slowly and placed them behind her head. Sunshine broke through the dense dark clouds in the sky and shone down on her. She smiled a smile that the naked eye could simply not catch. _

_It's warm today._

_A strangled gasp rushed past her cracked, bloody lips. Pain shot across the back of her head and sent her crashing to the ground. She couldn't breathe. Then she couldn't see. Finally, there was nothing. Nothing at all._

_Alice…_


	4. I Dream A Dream of You BONUS

'_Picture this. Picture the perfect life. Two story house old English style home out in Maine. There's no heavy traffic, no gangs, no death. Just a small little town hidden behind endless miles of beautiful mountains and woods teeming with life. It's a beautiful Saturday morning and I can smell breakfast as it's being made. A big house with a large back yard, two family cars, two point five dogs and one point five kids. You and me. Mrs. Alice and Claire Abernathy. Has a ring to it, don't it?'_

"_Claire." Alice held a pensive look to her face, but an infatuated, tender smile played across her, her finger tangled in a mess of auburn hair. On Saturdays she just loved to lay in bed and bask in the simplicity of her life. _

_She and Claire Redfield were married after three very amazing years of being engaged. Claire had adopted her younger sister, Kmart, and she accepted Chris as well. Her job as a nurse in the ER combined with Claire's full time Harley Davidson motorcycle specialist gig brought in more than enough money for them to live comfortable. Kmart would graduate this year and she'd decided to stay at home and attend the local college, much to their relief. _

"_Mmmm," Claire moaned, stifling a yawn behind her hand. "It smells good." A chill went down her spine, playful lips pressing butterfly kisses to her shoulder._

"_Kmart's cooking breakfast."_

_Claire's lips twitched. "What is it with you Abernathys and cooking?"_

"_Are you complaining?" Alice teased, poking the redhead's side._

"_Alice!" Squirming wildly Claire laughed as Alice tortured her until tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Driving her elbow to the bed, she slipped away from the brunette's grasp, sliding on top of her and pinning her wrists down to the mattress. She grinned triumphantly. "How fast the tables are turned."_

_Lust sparked in Alice's eyes. It amazed her how after seven years of being together she was still crazy about Claire. Madly in love is what Chris had called it a few years back. He was right. The thing about falling in love with the right person? She would never hit the ground. Not with Claire there to catch her and lift her back up. She made her feel like she stood on the highest mountain without fear of stumbling. _

_Claire's thoughts were similar. And hazy. Alice. Pinned beneath her. Her thin, barely there spaghetti shirt making her see images in her head. REALLY BAD IMAGES._

"_Is the door locked?" Alice breathed, feeling small beneath Claire's stare. There were times she felt completely powerless around her but Claire never exploited her. That is why Claire was her number one. _

_-o-_

_Kmart grumbled to herself, shoving her red, throbbing hand beneath a stream of cold water. Behind her Chris snickered to himself, throwing himself into a chair at the table, his boots rattling the silverware. He watched the furious blonde run to the stove, yanking the plate filled with strips of sizzling bacon away from the fire. He was highly amused._

"_Damn you're a spaz, K." The handsome police officer goaded. As he'd expected, Kmart took the bait._

"_And you're a dyke." She retaliated, sticking her tongue out. She wasn't surprised when Chris did the same._

"_I'm a woman trapped in a man's body." The brunette man smirked, taking an apple from the bowl at the center of the table. Amber eyed the brilliant red fruit suspiciously before with a big CHOMP he began eating it. "Are Claire and Alice still in bed?"_

_Kmart slapped a slice of butter on the burn, wincing. Stupid Chris had snuck up on her yet again and startled her. At present, the wall furthest from her was yellow and brown, an egg splattered all over it and taking its time in sliding down. Alice was going to have a fit if she didn't get that cleaned up right away._

_Chris raised a brow at the typical teenage attitude crap. Kmart had to be a saint compared to him and Claire. The most innocent they ever did was to actually come home after a wild party that got out of hand. Their mother wasn't happy when they stumbled into the house at eight o clock in the morning, leaning heavily into each others, giggling madly and red faced. Taking a napkin, the Lt. eyed the mess. He had half a mind to whistle for the dog to come and lick it up._

"_So what are you doing here so early?" _

_Chris waved at her dismissively; his way of acknowledging her presence in the kitchen. Sasha, Alice's pet Doberman, pranced into the room behind Kmart, her tongue sticking out one side of its mouth, pointed ears perked and tail wagging in frantic excitement._

"_I just thought I'd drop by and…"_

_Kmart's eyes widened. The 17 year old girl moved faster than any escaping criminal Chris had ever seen. "Are those tickets to the Rob Zombie concert?"_

_He nodded, satisfaction in the form of a lopsided smile displaying itself. He scratched at the stubble on his jaw, "It's tonight. Do you want to go with me?"_

"_Hell yeah!" _

_He laughed. "I thought so. I just need to ask Claire if she'll give me permission to take you. And Alice."_

_Kmart snatched the tickets from Chris's hands, reading over the black and crimson print. "You don't have to ask Alice, I know she'll let me go."_

"_What makes you so sure?" He wondered, wiping the last of the mess away. The crumbled napkin sailed through the air, spun around the rim of the trash can, then tipped into the canister. _

"_Because Claire is the over protective, mother hen. Alice is more like my best friend."_

"_Is that so?" Sasha cocked her head to the side, nose pointed in the direction of the stove as she whimpered hopefully. "I'll keep that in mind… I have an idea."_

"_Oh-oh." Kmart looked apprehensive. Whenever Chris got an idea, bad things happened and she was usually the one getting into trouble for it considering Chris was 26 and a grown man with his own apartment and his own rules. "Last time I got grounded for a month for listening to you."_

_Stretching his back, he waited until he heard several little pops all across his back. His brows dipped, eyes glowing with mischief. "What do you say we take the girls a little breakfast in bed?"_

_Kmart followed his eyes to the top of the refrigerator. Her own wicked grin came along. Whipped cream. "Oh you're good."_

"_No," he chuckled, motioning for her to grab the bottle and follow her up the stairs, "you're good."_

"_I'm the best." She giggled, sounding very girlish and very young. She loved hanging out with Alice and Claire. But getting into trouble with Chris was by far number one on her favorite things to do list._

_-o-_

_Alice threw her head back and whimpered. Her throat felt raw, her voice was hoarse, and her body throbbed, being stretched to its full capacity. The vein in her neck jumped violently beneath Claire's tongue, her thighs clamping shut and effectively trapping the redhead's wet, trembling hand there. Her skin felt too tight around her body, too sensitive. Claire's very breath sent little shock waves through her, once again stoking the fire inside rebuilding in the pit of her stomach._

_She could only compare the mind numbing orgasm to suicide. Claire drove her to the edge in a way that made her want to die just so that god awfully delicious sensation would be the last thing she felt. Her lids fluttered shut of their own accord, plunging her into the shadows of her mind to recover._

_Claire's body glistened with sweat in the morning sunlight, the muscles in her ripped back visible as they expanded and flattened with every gasp. She held the bed sheets in a white knuckled death grip while her insides grasped and sucked at Alice's fingers, trying to pull her in. She couldn't move and she really didn't think she wanted to. _

_However, her keen senses picked up on the soft pitter patter of footsteps coming down the hall. Her eyes narrowed and shook Alice's by the shoulders gently._

_Alice looked up at the woman with a lazily half smile, her fingers once again finding their home in Claire's wonderfully soft hair. She loved playing with her hair. It soothed her. "Hmm?"_

_Her eyes ticked towards the door briefly, silently communicating with the attentive brunette._

_Alice smirked to show she understood. Kmart and Chris. What were those two up to now? _

_Nothing good, said Claire's look. "Ready?"_

"_One.. Two..three! OH! OH YEEEEES! Baby, right there! Harder! Harde- AH! YES! Oh, Claire!" _

_Claire's face turned beet red at Alice's enthusiastic tone despite knowing better. "Like that, doll? Do you like this?"_

_Alice tried her hardest not to laugh. It took a lot of effort. "Just like that! Just like that. Oh god, yes! I'm almost there."_

_Claire couldn't help it any longer and buried her face into one of her pillows, her laughter rocking her body. Alice too bit down on her lip to keep from howling with laughter. _

_-o-_

"_Just like that! Just like that! Oh god, yes! I'm almost-"_

_Chris and Kmart didn't wait around for the end of THAT sentence. Their legs couldn't have carried them away faster if they'd tried. They reached the kitchen panting, completely weirded out._

_Kmart groaned, heading to the sink and filling up a glass of water. "Why do I listen to you?"_

_Chris had the decency to look properly ashamed. "We so did NOT need to hear that." _

_Green eyes met amber in a moment of realization. A mean shade of red streaked across the officer's cheeks and neck while the teenaged girl hide her face in her hands._

"_God I'm going to be scared for life! No amount of therapy is going to fix that."_

"_Sorry." Chris mumbled sheepishly._

_-I-_

Luther West was a lot of things.

Back in the day he'd been a professional basketball player, a point guard for the Chicago Bulls, team captain for the Knicks. He did a little a modeling for Ralph Lauren and advertising for some really expensive watch he couldn't even recall.

Before he became big shit, he was just another delinquent on the big bad streets of LA looking for his next high. As a young boy he learned real quickly that in order to survive, he needed to become strong, needed to learnt that he took what he wanted and never hesitated to do so. By age 17 he was in a gang, riding around in stolen cars with women almost three times his age, a joint one hand, a gun in the other. The way he was headed, he would have been dead long ago.

Lucky for him, his uncle Michael got word and intervened. Moving him from LA to Santa Monica took him away from the all the violence and chaos that was the city of angels. Still, Santa Monica wasn't short on the action. Michael forced him to enroll back on high school and to take up a hobby other than gang banging.

Low and behold, six years later he was well on his way to stardom. But despite all the drastic changes, Luther was still the same one track minded kid his uncle had found. Except now he was bigger, now he was better.

Take the junk out of the junkyard, you can't take the junkyard out of junk.

His beliefs remained the same, his thoughts followed a similar pattern, his mind worked the same.

Yeah, Luther West was a lot of things. A gang banger, a liar, a former thief, an idol, a basketball player, a womanizer, a manipulator , rich, loved.

But the one thing Luther West was not, was afraid of Claire Redfield.

He watched intently from his hiding place in the shadows as the two girls embraced each other in their sleep. Something stirred inside of him. It had been a really long time since he's been so captivated by a woman. He'd yet to met a woman who'd denied him. When Luther West wanted something, Luther West got it.

He looked down and grimaced. The bulge in his pants grew by the minute. It wouldn't be easy to hide it in his track pants. Not that he cared. What he cared about was Alice, and that fucking redhead keeping him from what he wanted.

Could he really be blamed? Four years! Four years was a really long time for a man of his… particular kind to go on without his needs being satisfied. Sex was the furthest thing from his mind when it all began. Who in their right mind would think of such a thing?

Things were different now. Life went on. It was time to stop living in hopes of what would come tomorrow and time to take what they could now.

Live for the moment.

Sparing a final glare at the women, he opened the door slowly and slipped inside. The only reason Alice rejected him was because of that damn annoying redheaded bitch. Once she was out of the picture, he was sure Alice would change her mind. After all, who wouldn't want the chance to hook up with a charming, good looking man like himself?

That's all he needed, just to get a load off before he headed for Arcadia.

Luther took the steps easily, perfectly relaxed. He would have a little talk with Claire tomorrow. And if that didn't work. Well, the funny thing about prison? There were a hell of a lot places to hide a body. Or two.

-I-

Claire's eyes focused intently on the shadows, the darker ones by the door to be exact. She could have sworn she felt saw someone standing there just a moment ago. The harder she stared, though, the more she began to think she was just being paranoid.

'_Chill out. There's no one there.'_

B-but… she couldn't shake that creepy feeling that someone had been watching her.

Releasing an anxious breath of air, she let herself fall back into the crook of Alice's elbow. The brunette stirred, but did not awaken. Who knew how long it had been since she'd actually felt secure enough to sleep. She looked exhausted all the time, despite efforts to give the opposite effect. Claire herself didn't feel all that tired (she probably got enough of that when Alice knocked her off her rocker.)

A siren went off somewhere in the distance. Another survivor? A group maybe? She shrugged. What could she do about it? Absolutely nothing. A lump formed in her throat. She felt bad for thinking that way.

Turning over to face Alice's sleeping form, Claire made herself comfortable. She was a night owl. There would be no more rest for her tonight. Instead of pondering on what couldn't be helped, she would watch Alice sleep. The brunette's mere presence always set her at ease. She traced the angles and lines of her jaw, slipping over to the strong but feminine line of her nose, and finally down to her pouting red lips.

Claire giggled. Just for a second she forgot where she was, thinking maybe she was back inside of that dream. She half expected Kmart and Chris to coming prancing around to interrupt their private moment. Hell, she WISHED they would come and interrupt her. She wished this really was a nightmare, that she would wake up and find herself in that perfect house, laying next to her perfect lover, living a perfect life.

She thought about it a little more, then, slowly, came to a decision.

While she could deal with a little less madness, zombies, (and a lack of Luther wouldn't hurt) and a lot less of this hell in general, she didn't wish for a perfect life- she simply wished for a life with Alice. She didn't even care about her memories anymore. If she never got them back then that was just fine with her. She had the feeling she wouldn't want to remember a lot of those things anyway. Was that too much to ask for?

Apparently not because it was Alice's arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and no one else's.

**AN: Hey guys. ^_^ Just so you know, this isn't chapter 4, it's more of a little bonus I decided to add because starting with the next chapter we're leaving the mushy stuff and going into a more bloody fast paced, adrenaline pumping, back stabbing zombified Resident Evil style of story. I'm trying to get in a good combination of the two and I think the time is now. The next (real) chapter should be up in a few (days?) (Weeks?) It depends on you. Review? And also, as I've said before, any and all ideas are welcome for this fic.**

**Cheers!**


	5. Must Be A Human Thing

'Have you ever woken up from the dream of a perfect life and found yourself looking into the face of an angel sleeping beside you? It's hard for your brain to grasp the situation but the warm tingles inside of you comfort you. You realize you don't really know this person sleeping beside you, but your body recognizes them, feels safe with them. You realize with certainty that if given the opportunity you would lay beside this creature-this goddess, this perfectly beautiful, wonderful creature- for the rest of your life.'

'These thoughts scare me, but at the same time, they make a small smile flicker across my lips. Leaning over her shoulder, I trace the contours of peaceful face with a tenderness that should startle me. Why do I feel so moved by her presence? Why does my heart leap into my throat then plummet down into my stomach every time she sets her hand on me? I'm beginning to think that perhaps there's more between she and I then she's letting on. After all, it's not natural to feel this protective and fond -I see Luther's face in my head; my teeth grit slightly- and protective.'

The hours flew and soon the morning had very well bled into the afternoon. In that time Claire took the opportunity to analyze what little she knew about herself. Her mind wandered off, losing her to the memories she couldn't quite understand.

Yes, she got the gist of them. Her dreams were filled with images of the day the virus broke out in Raccoon City. This girl from the college, Jesse, pulled her away from the mayhem before it really got started. They left the main campus and traveled to their shared dorm where she hoped to find Chris, her brother.

One of the undead was waiting for her inside and if it wasn't for Jesse's intervention she wouldn't be here right now.

So now what? Why did these dreams keep going back to Raccoon City and why did Alice seem to be the trigger? Had they known each other that far back? And if so, why didn't Alice talk to her about it?

The very woman that permeated her thoughts stirred, mumbling something incoherent. Claire sucked in a breath and held it. The last thing she wanted was for the virtual stranger to wake up and find herself being stared at. That was just plain creepy. Despite her thoughts, her eyes would not stray from Alice for too long.

"What's on your mind?"

The sudden interruption of the brunette's voice should have startled her, but she was too relaxed. Rolling onto her back, she stared at the ugly, pale grey ceiling of clouds above her. "I remembered something from the beach."

Alice bit her lip, growing curious with each silent second that passed and still Claire gave no indication that she would tell her. _Don't push her, _She scolded herself. Any little thing she could remember was progress, no matter how small or irrelevant.

Claire appreciated Alice's sensibility. If someone pushed her to talk, she would just clam up. She hated how others automatically assumed she was okay and if she wasn't she hated how they expected things of her. Alice wasn't like them.

"When we arrived at the beach, three small boats were sailing towards the shore. There were several men inside of them with black uniforms. They looked military but the logo on their visors wasn't like any I'd ever seen before."

Alice shut her eyes, Claire sounded small, uncertain of herself. The Claire she met in the Nevada desert was strong, powerful, and very confident. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Umbrella had done so much to her, wasn't that enough? Now they were playing with Claire's head and there was nothing she could do about it. Sometimes she just felt so useless. What good was she if she couldn't even protect those she cared about?

"They're Umbrella agents. They must have spotted you before Arcadia-"

"No." Claire chewed the inside of her cheek, looking thoughtful. "I think they were sent from Arcadia." Hazel eyes tinged with a hunter green stared unblinkingly, lips pursed. "There was a ship hidden behind the fog. I think it was Arcadia."

Alice did her best to look cool about the turn of rather unfortunate events. She studied Claire's unreadable expression. It surprised her how expressive she could be one second, how blank she could be the next. Cold as steel, smooth as velvet, pretty as the stars, wicked as can be. "So there's no Arcadia?" She believed every word Claire told her. However, it was in her best interests to keep the conversation going. Claire was finally opening up. She need to keep her thoughts in check.

"I don't think so." The two women glanced around their surroundings. This place was way in too good of a condition for four years of long term use. "Alice?"

"What?"

"Did we…" she visibly gulped. " what were we?"

Their eyes locked, both apprehensive, afraid. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but I" a moment's hesitance cost Claire the opportunity to enlighten herself.

The two women stared at Luther as if he were the scum of the earth. Alice was the first to react, as always. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you," his dark eyes pinned on the redhead. "In private."

Claire resisted the urge to sneer at him, snatching her vest from the ground and walking briskly past Alice.

Before she could get too far, Alice reached out and latched onto her wrist. Pulling her back, she pressed her lips to the shell of her ear. "You don't have to go, Claire."

Luther watched the exchange with growing indignation. His muscles twitched from the pure adrenaline pumping through his body. He didn't like the redhead. She was there to undermine his authority, he could sense it. Eyes like an angry tiger's regarded him with barely contained disgust.

Running her fingers through her sleep tousled hair, she gently pried Alice's fingers from her wrist. "I'll be back. I think I need to take a walk. Don't worry about me."

Alice's eyes followed Claire's every step until she disappeared around the bend. Luther cleared his throat. She reluctantly tore her eyes away. The basketball player looked serious as a cancer. "We need to talk."

"So I heard."

Motioning with his head for her to follow him, Luther led Alice in the opposite direction of that which the redhead had taken.

-I-

Angel was a man of honor, a man of truth and pride. But all of his beliefs were in danger now. His very life was in danger, more so than it would have been had he taken his chances with the legion of the undead clawing at these stones walls. He believed the others harbored feelings of resentment towards him because of his nature.

He didn't care. But he did care for the other innocents. Krystal, Claire, Alice. They had nothing to do with this, not as far as he was concerned.

"Angel?"

The ex marine spun, heaving an incredulous sigh. It was no one more than his reluctant redheaded friend. "Claire." he said tipped his head, offering what he hoped wasn't a too shaky smile. He reclaimed his position on a rocky ledge and sat, his feet dangling over the heads of thousands of the undead.

Claire made her way to Angel's side, but opted for leaning against the wall. Her fear of the undead wasn't justified. Not yet. She had no idea why she was so terrified of them, they couldn't hurt her any more than she could hurt them. _But I can hurt them. _Her contradictory thoughts made her scowl.

"What brings you out here?" Angel drawled in his thick accent. Whenever he looked into Claire's eyes he saw a terrified little girl crying out for help. There was only one person that could help her.

"I needed a change of scenery."

"Ha."

Claire took a tentative step towards the edge, her pulse sky rocketing. Thousands, hundreds of thousands of hungry zombies reached up their gnarled, twisted limbs into the air, praying for a morsel of flesh. Thick, acidic bile rose into her throat, threatening to choke her. She quickly retraced her steps, feeling faint. "Not exactly the change I had in mind."

Angel bore silent witness to what ailed the youthful survivor. His brows furrowed in sympathy. "You are terrified of them." His statement drew the wrath of Claire's suddenly not so scared expression. He shook away the feeling that this woman could make him miserable if she so wished it.

"What if I am?" Her honesty surprised even herself. She questioned whether her mouth was connected to her brain. She could never say what she truly wanted to say, coming off as defensive and anti social. Ha! Look at her, all worried about her social standing. _I bet the zombies love me._

Angel smiled encouragingly, propping his chin up on his knee. "That means you're smart."

Claire reluctantly took a seat on the ledge beside him, mindful of how far she let her legs dangle. "So what's your story?"

"What makes you think I have a story?"

"Everyone has a story." She deadpanned, not in the mood to be playful. Luther's disruption cast a dark cloud over her head with the way he ogled Alice and brushed her off. Was she… jealous?

"You're right. Show me yours and I'll show you mine."

A dark look crossed her. "I don't remember." That was only half true. What she did remember she didn't feel obligated to share with a man she didn't know.

Angel mumbled something to himself under his breath, dark eyes on the pulsing mass of rotten flesh. "I was stationed in Africa before the virus broke out full force. My colonel gave me permission to abandon my post and come home." He wish he hadn't insisted on coming home. "My mother took care of my little girl after I got divorced. I soon as I landed I knew it would be a struggle for my life to get to my mother's house."

Claire absently fingered the handle of a random gun she'd picked up. So far, Angel's story sounded all to familiar.

"I made it to my mother's and thank goodness she and Ali were alright."

"Ali?"

He flashed a proud grin. "My daughter. Anyway, I grabbed my mother and Ali and we jumped into the first abandoned vehicle we found…" Something ticked inside of him. Claire narrowed her eyes, whatever her opinion of Angel was before, she was completely wrong. Despite his sweet charming smile and innocent demeanor, the man was a killer.

_He IS a killer._

"You know when you're in a hurry you hardly take notice of every little detail around you."

"What happened?"

"One of those things was in the back seat. I caught sight of it in the rearview mirror and slammed on the brakes. My mother was really old. The sudden stop propelled her forward and she slammed her head into the dashboard."

"I'm sorry." Claire meant it. No one deserved to see their mother pass away like that. She got the feeling that was not the extent of Angel's bad luck.

"I reached over the seat and grabbed Ali, pulled her into my lap before kicking the door open and running away. We must have walked for three hours down the freeway before she started complaining about a headache." The groaning and moaning only seemed to intensify as the sun traveled across the gray, smog ridden sky. It's funny how they took the sun for granted every single day. They missed it now that it rarely showed its face. "I thought maybe she hit herself when I stomped on the brakes…"

Claire's blood froze in her veins. "You didn't know..." Angel had no need to continue with his painful recounting of the accident, she already knew how this story ended.

"I sought desperately for a place for Ali to rest. I found this prison. At the time there was another woman here and she was in charge, not Luther. She opened the doors to us and led us inside. But the others were not happy with her decision." Angel gave her the utmost sorrowful look she had seen yet. "We must sacrifice the one for the sake of the many."

So her suspicions were correct. "That fucking bastard."

"Indeed. The woman did not agree with Luther's decision. She grabbed her belongings and left right then and there. As for Ali" he took a deep shaky breath, "my baby didn't suffer." his lids fluttered shut, a vain attempt to hide his tears. He didn't allow himself to cry then. He couldn't help it now. "She was so scared of the zombies. You remind me of her, Claire."

"I-I'm flattered." She certainly hadn't expected that from the marine. Against all the red flags and sirens going off inside her head, she offered the man what she hoped was a friendly -and a good attempt- at a smile.

"Claire," he said gravelly, taking a hold of her shoulder, ignoring how stiff she became under his touch. He wouldn't hurt her, he would never even think of it, but he needed her to understand that what he had to say was very important. In fact, it was crucial to their survival. "Luther and Bennett aren't what they seem to be."

"You mean they're not total fucking assholes?"

Her falsely cheerful tone made Angel chuckle. Yes, he was right about this girl. An ache in his chest caused him to sober up. If Ali had grown up, she would have been exactly like this girl in front of him. He smiled wistfully, he would have been damn proud of his little girl. "I'm serious Claire, they're planning something. They've never let anyone in. They thought you could take them to the promised land."

"They thought we were going to save them."

"And you've disappointed them… whatever you and your friend are planning, forget it. Just get your things, get in that plane, and leave here while you still have the chance."

Claire fell back into a roll, following through with the movement and landing on her feet several inches away from Angel. She could talk easier to his back. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

Angel sent her a stare that made her blood boil. Back pedaling, she gripped her gun to assure herself it was still there. "Get out Claire. I couldn't save Ali, but I'll try my hardest to help you."

Claire whirled and made a line for the door. "I knew I didn't fucking like that guy."

-o-

_A killer fog rolled in from out of nowhere, moving silently through the darkness as it approached the disaster ridden city of Raccoon. Claire didn't see the fog coming any more than she could see the undead taking the small nestled city by storm. But she felt it. At first just a quieting sense of foreboding. Then she came roaring around a bend and caught sight of a pack of ten or so people shrieking as they ran down the streets, attempting to rid themselves of the atrocities snapping their jaws at their heels. She knew. It was a soul deep feeling that went straight down to her bones. This was the last place on earth she wanted to be._

_She slowed her motorcycle, the feeling of darkness so strong she actually had to risk wrecking and peered over her shoulder. Her eyes fell upon Jesse Valentine riding expertly just a few yards behind her. Her relief was very short lived. She felt the fog before she saw it. Small patches of dampness brushed the exposed skin of her neck and hands like ghosts. But the moment they came close to the more heavily wooded stretch of road the mist moved in like a thick blanket, obscuring even the road from her sight, forcing her to pull over._

_Seconds later the roar of Jesse's Ducati joined her Harley at the side of the road. Out of pure habit she reached her hand inside of her denim armored jacket for the reassuring feel of her .35 nestled in her shoulder holster. It was a cold comfort. She had only so much ammunition on her for both her and Jesse._

_Removing her helmet, Jesse shook her long corkscrew curls out. They billowed in the breeze before settling atop her leather clad shoulders. The fog coupled with the cold of the night and the darkness of the surrounding area gave her the creeps. Lucky for them, the woods around the city were sparsely populated. It meant they were safe from those.. Things. For now._

"_How far until we get there?" She kept her voice just loud enough for Claire to hear, but not loud enough to disrupt the deep rooted silence. Or attract attention._

_Claire pulled a face, her hands fidgeting nervously with the hem of her jacket. "Can we make it with the bikes? The last thing we need is to spill out here. We'd be sitting ducks."_

_Jesse uttered a helpless sigh, unstraddling her prized motorcycle. A quick sweep of the woods put a light in her head. "We can hide them in the bushes and make our way on foot." A shrug. "We can get them later." _

_Claire climbed off of her horse and kicked the stand up, grabbing the handle bars and stirring the large machine into the nearest thick bushes she could find. The sounds of her companion's heaving breathing made her smile patronizingly. Jesse was five foot five, slender, and very athletic. But the girl couldn't carry weight worth a shit. She waited patiently until the brunette finished before making her way back to the road._

_She estimated Raccoon's first red-light must be three blocks worth of walking away. After that it would be another six blocks down main street, a left on Bybee and they would have arrived at RCPD. Her hopes that Chris might be there were not completely crushed by today's earlier disappointment, but she knew better now than to expect miracles._

_Their boot clad feet made the minimal amount of sound as they stalked into Raccoon City, keeping to the shadows lest they get spotted. _

_Jesse's mouth felt incredibly dry and it only got worse with each step that brought them closer to the dread zombies loitering the streets. The first block was completely abandoned, devoid of any form of life (undead included.) This should have made her less worried. Instead her concern tripled. The most logical thought was that the creatures had already torn through this street and were steadily moving towards the more populated side of town. _

_What an awful thought to have but the fear was there. _

_What if the town had been evacuated while they fought off both zombies and crazed residents? What if there was no one left but them?_

"_That's Emmy's."_

_Jesse's head snapped up at the sound of Claire's voice breaking the ominous, oppressive silence. She sounded as stiff as she felt. _

"_Okay, and that is?"_

_Claire flashed the gray eyed beauty an are-you-daft kind of glare. "It's a 24 hour diner. Chris and I use to come here all the time. There's a basement Emmy used to keep off limits. She had a wicked collection of guns down there."_

_Jesse absorbed all of this information and couldn't spare herself the pain of keeping her eyes to herself. They roamed over Claire's shadow figure in a way that was not sexual, but clearly not innocent either. Her fingers tightened their hold on her gun. She felt the urge to protect the redhead more than anything. It could be she never truly got over her little crush on her. Oh well._

"_Is this the place?"_

_The building's glass front gave her a clear view of the well-lit, homey restaurant from the bolted red stools at the bar counter to the to the padded booths lining the walls. There wasn't a soul in sight. Claire frowned, spinning the chamber on her magnum. _

"_Jess," she called, her voice barely above a whisper. She waited until the brunette appeared at her side to continue. "Stay out here and keep an eye out. If you see anything-"_

"_Shoot it. Watch your back."_

_Exchanging nervous smiles, Claire grasped the brass doorknob and gave it a shake. The door gave way, only serving to make her nerves jump. Stepping inside she called a hopeful, "Hello?" Her voiced echoed through the restaurant, making her very aware of how alone she was._

'_Come on, Claire, Jesse's just outside.' _

_Walking slowly, Claire headed straight for the backdoor at the far end of the building. If they planned on making it to the police department alive and well , then they definitely needed a lot more firepower than what they carried at present. Finally she reached the door (that little walk through the restaurant felt too fucking long!) and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. Her death grip on the gun left indentions in her hands but she wasn't about to complain. Reaching for the door, she stopped dead in her tracks at the unmistaken hungry hiss of one of the undead._

_The zombie opened his mouth and began gnashing its rotten teeth at her. Claire paled. Aside from a grunt it made no more noise but it came straight for her, and she was forced to dive beneath it or join the ranks of the creatures._

"_Jesse-"_

"_Claire? A little help?" Jesse's panicked voice reached her just before the sound of gun fire did. _

"_Shit!" She cursed, flipping to her feet and whirling. The zombie hissed, wet, putrid breaths reaching her nose. She made a face, raising the gun to head level. "Sorry Emmy." Closing her eyes, she pulled the trigger._

_BANG! THUD…_

_Emmy's twice dead body hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Claire didn't take the time to celebrate her kill. The zombies were frightening all on their own, but being forced to kill one of those things wearing the face of someone she knew…_

_The bell on the door rang loudly and she tried not to gasp as the cold air hit her. Head swiveling this way and that, it only took her a few seconds to catch sight of Jesse holding her own against two zombies. One of them she held back at arm's length, her fingers buried deeply into its sockets. The other convulsed on the floor as if it were having a seizure, a boot pressed snuggly into its throat. _

_Claire moved at once, charging over to her companion's side and aiming for the creature clawing her arm with filthy, bloodied finger nails. She squeezed the trigger and nearly gagged when brains, hair, and splinted pieces of bone flew into the air, some of the gunk splattering on her jacket._

"_Ah! Sick!" She squealed, hopping back from the mess._

_Jesse scoffed at Claire's girlish antics, drawing her own weapon and putting a bullet through the second zombie's temple. Its struggling ceased at once. She watched Claire through her thick lashes, smirking as the redhead continued to curse and make 'icky' faces at the glob on her vest._

"_Claire you-"_

_The hidden zombie snarled like a famished lion about to take that first orgasmic bite into its prey, its dead weight knocking an unsuspecting Claire down to the ground. The bastard had snuck up on them from the alley. Claire screamed bloody murder. She could feel its cold dead breath on her neck, its hands pressing down on her shoulder blades and effectively keeping her from moving away. _

_Even after she realized her city was rapidly becoming infested with the undead, she never expected she would die like this. Closing her eyes, she awaited her fate._

_To her surprise, she felt the weight of the creature suddenly lifted from her back. Opening one eye, she found Jesse with one arm wrapped around the thing's neck, the other trying and retrying to get a good aim at its head. The creature thrashed like a fish out of water and a stray jerk of his shoulder knocked into the brunette's wrist, sending the gun sailing into the air._

_The sound of glass shattering all around prompted Claire into action. Scrambling to her feet, she rushed to Jesse's side, grabbing a hold of the zombie by its collar. The fucker was a lot stronger than she thought. It barely even budged. She was about to make some off colored remark when Jesse's pained, sharp cry pierced the night. Motivated by the alarming sound, she grabbed a handful of clothes, spun around, pressed her hips against the small of the zombie's back, crouched, and yanked with all of her strength. The second it hit the ground, she drew her gun and put it out of its misery._

_Jesse watched Claire bust out with a hip flip and take the zombie down. She winced, putting her hand over the gaping wound on her forearm, mesmerized by how quickly and efficiently Claire took out the threat. She always knew the pretty redhead was a real badass and not at all as frail as she looked. But still, to see her in action took her breath away._

_Claire glared at the remains of the creature on the sidewalk, her eyes focused on the thick black pool spreading around its head. "Mother fucker." She snarled, spinning on her heel. Her expression softened. "Jesse, are you-"_

"_I'm fine, Claire." She said, a little fast. She sucked in a calming breath, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly._

_Claire's eyes widened at the sight of Jesse's blood. The color was a bright crimson red, striking against the fairness of her skin. A chunk of flesh the size of her fist was missing, torn away by the monster's teeth. "I'm so sorry-"_

_The brunette waved it off, her flippant attitude bothering Claire. "Really, Claire, it's fine."_

"_But I should have been paying attention!" She threw her hands up, exasperated. "If I hadn't gotten distracted-"_

_Jesse laid her hand reassuringly on her shoulder, hoping her eyes could speak for her what she couldn't. "Spilt milk, babe. There's no use crying over it."_

_Claire was angry with herself. Her stupid mistake nearly cost the one girl who'd stuck by her side through all this her life. "You must be my guardian angel."_

_Jesse's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "What do you mean?"_

"_You're always saving me."_

"_You say that as if it were a bad thing."_

"_It is when you get hurt in the process."_

_Jesse stared at the ground, suddenly finding it extremely interesting. "Maybe I like saving you." She admitted shyly. _

_Claire tensed, her anger returning. She let Jesse get hurt. "Next time I'm doing the saving." Now more than ever they needed to reach the police department. That wound was bad, and it was bleeding profusely. She needed to get Jesse to a doctor, or at least to someone who knew how to take care of something like that. The very thought of it put a knot the size of soccer ball in her insides. As far as she could tell only those already dead were affected by the virus. So if they took care of her wounds on time then that meant she should be okay._

_Right?_

"_I'll hold you that." _

_-o-_

_Claire grasped her head, her lips forming silent protest at the images in her head. She'd been feeling guilty all this time about something she couldn't even remember. She knew what it was now. Gritting her teeth, her jaw set with pure determination. _

_She fully expected to walk in on Luther and Alice sharing another "private" conversation. It came to her as a (pleasant) shock to find Alice sitting cross legged on the their-( was it theirs? As in together?-) cot. A part of her wished the ex basketball star would be there so she could confront him. The larger part of her was immensely relieved._

"_Where's hot chocolate?'_

_Alice frowned, cocking her head at the redhead, lips twitching. "Really, Claire? Hot chocolate?"_

_Her body relaxing, Claire slid the steel bars into place. She wasn't locking them inside, she was locking everyone else out. "What did he tell you?"_

"_Nothing important."_

_Claire's disappoint was almost palpable. All this time Alice spoke about trust. Yet she was sitting here lying to her face. Should she even tell her what Angel said? Would she believe her? Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "Okay."_

_Alice flinched. Luther had nothing to say that she wanted to hear. He'd made a total fool of himself and not only had he disrespected her, but Claire as well. She'd sent him scampering away with his tail tucked between his legs. Sadly, Alice knew men like Luther only all too well. He didn't take well to her rejection and he was even less happy about a tongue lashing. He was unable to keep the rage off of his face as he'd stomped out._

_Angry? No. Pissed? No. Furious? Maybe. Protective of Claire Redfield? She was two seconds away from shoving her magnum down Luther's throat. _

_Funny thing was, she didn't really care what he'd said about her. Stick and stones. What really got her blood running was his careless, crude remark about Claire. She'd never lost her self control like that before. _

_It must be a human thing._


	6. Guilt

_Guilt, guilt, guilt… It's one of those feelings you never want to feel and yet it's probably the one we feel the most in our lifetime. Besides fear. _

_Jesse marched on ahead of me, the incident at Emmy's long gone, but not long forgotten. Especially by me. The scene kept replaying in my head and with that image came all the what if's. What if I'd seen that fucker hiding in the shadows? What if I'd been a little faster? What if Jesse hadn't jumped in? I knew it was stupid to keep punishing myself for something I had virtually no control over, but I couldn't. It seemed the harder I tried to keep those I cared about safe, the faster they fell victim to some unfortunate event, to circumstances. _

_The sound of our boots striking the pavement served to keep me from wandering too far off in my head, after all, all it took was a second of being distracted… My eyes scanned the deeps shadows cast by the pale full moon, searching for any sign that something wasn't right- an odd shape, movement, sound, a feeling, etc. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms stood on end, my heart in my throat. The smell of burning rubber, metal, plastic, and flesh made me sick to my stomach. _

_As we approached the end of street, my stomach clenched. Just a few feet ahead of us I could see what looked like a ten car plus pile up in the middle of the road. Flames from car lapped at the metal of the other, a dark pool formed at the bottom of the mess breaking off into rivulets. _

"_Shit…" Jesse groaned, running her fingers through her tousled hair, dark eyes drinking in the destruction all around us. "Shit." She said again. Quieter. Defeated. _

_It was as if everything finally caught up with me, the reality of my situation driven home by Jesse's pale face. This feeling in my chest- I was only a few inches away from losing it. And as if to catch up with my mind, my body began to tremble, the gun in my hand suddenly feeling too heavy to carry. _

_The pile up took up most of the street, some of the cars even half embedded into glass displays. It didn't take a genius to realize we weren't getting out this way. Just when I was beginning to think that there might be a chance._

"_It's okay," Jesse turned and faced me, that lost look in her eyes gone and replaced by sheer determination, "we can back track to the previous street and make a turn there. This is simply a setback and nothing more."_

_I wish I could believe her. _

"_Easier said." _

_She frowned. "Claire," she said, her tone gentle, "I know-"_

"_No, Jess, YOU don't know."_

_Ever since we left Emmy's I had the feeling her and I weren't walking down this street alone. But despite several glances over my shoulders, I failed to see anything but my own shadow behind me. I knew with certainty now, however, there was something following us this entire time. The hope of reaching the RPD forced me to push this feeling down but now that that hope was squashed I could no longer ignore it._

"_Something's following us."_

_Her image burned itself in my brain. She looked truly disturbed. "I haven't seen anything."_

"_Neither have I."_

_The severity behind my statement shocked us both. As one, we turned, weapons drawn and at the ready should anything leap out from the shadows. _

_Nothing. Not even a zombie._

_Jesse's heavy breathing seemed amplified in the darkness of the night as she took a few steps forwards. "I'm still waiting to wake up and find this is all a nightmare."_

_I'm not a pessimist; I'm a realist, and our situation? I think it calls for us to be realistic. "We're in a rut."_

_Jesse shook her head, shoving the glock she'd found into the waistband of her jeans. "We just have to go around."_

"_Can you walk that far?"_

_She flinched, as if my words struck her like a physical blow. Her hand unconsciously covered the bite on her arm. She looked thoughtful for a minute, then, without warning, she began making her way back down the street we'd come from. _

_I stared after her, wondering what could be going through her mind, hoping to god it wasn't what was going through mine. I might not know much about these-these THINGS taking shots at me left and right, but one thing was very soon becoming obvious: all these zombies seem to have one thing in common. _

_A bite._

_-0-_

Alice stared up at the ugly gray concrete ceiling of her cell, her arms tucked beneath her head, her foot tapping to some imaginary beat. For the first time in days, she was alone, which afforded her time to think without being interrupted.

It felt strange being alone; truly, completely alone. Her cell might as well be on the moon today, as no one bothered to come by since her explosive argument with Claire the night before.

Claire.

If someone had told Alice she would have a falling out with the redhead, she would have laughed at the absurdity of it all. Being as it were, she was left reeling. They'd shouted at each other, said things they shouldn't have and now she found herself feeling uncertain about her latest and future decisions.

For all the thoughts running through her mind over the past three days, she was surprised to find she couldn't concentrate long enough on one thought to find a solution. Her mind kept wandering to places it shouldn't be.

Guilt; it had a funny way of sneaking up on her.

A year ago she watched as Carlos sacrificed himself to help them all escape the zombie ridden wasteland that was the Nevada desert; his hope was that his friends would eventually find a place where they could just…live. She was supposed to lead them to the promised land. Instead she led them straight to their capture.

Horrible as it may sound, she didn't feel quite so bad thinking about all those strangers possibly still out there somewhere. She felt bad for- for something she shouldn't. SOMEONE she shouldn't.

"_Alice!"_

_She fought back the instinct to lash out as Claire grabbed her wrist and spun her around. The look in her clear green eyes startled her, her expression bothered her._

"_What is it? What's going on?"_

_Claire licked her lips, unable to hold her gaze. She took a step back, the grasp on her wrist loosening. "Do you think we can save these people?"_

_The question caught her off guard. Alice stiffened. "We have to save them. We're all getting out of here alive."_

That guilt. The guilt of leaving the caravan to their own devices that day because her thirst for revenge was too much. She hadn't cared what happened to them, not really. Or should she say, not enough? She'd been so consumed by revenge…

That wasn't the case now. Now she wanted to make up for her mistakes then. She wanted to save all of these people in the hopes that the voices in her head and the ache in her heart might fade away into the dark night.

_Claire stared at Alice long and hard, trying to figure her out. She had the feeling they had a lot more in common than she would like. That look in her eyes she knew well; she had it, too. _

"_What if we can't all get out of here?"_

"_Why wouldn't we?" She knew Claire was right, that chances were they would lose someone before they managed to escape this place. It was just the way things were. The world isn't fair, life isn't fair; it's just the way things are. But she hated it. She hated it when someone told her it couldn't be done. She lived to prove people wrong. _

"_Some of us might not share your incentive."_

Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

If still amazed her how quickly people could transform before her very eyes. She'd seen it happen a thousand times, but it always left her feeling confused and shaken.

Spencer had seemed like a nice guy, offering his jacket to her, pretending to watch out for her. When he pulled that gun on her she felt like the world was crashing down her. She couldn't believe someone could turn so fast. It was faster than the transition from human to zombie.

Jill was a diamond; hard, cold, and beautiful. Her piercing eyes and hard expression could have fooled anyone into believing she wouldn't think twice about putting a bullet in their head. It turned out, her first impression of the brunette couldn't have been more wrong.

These weren't the only instances in which her judge of character was flawed which led her to believe she might be wrong again.

Claire seemed to have the right head on her shoulders. Luther seemed like a nice enough guy…

"Fuck…" She groaned, pulling on the roots of her hair with one hand, pounding the wall at her side with the other. Tossing her feet over the edge of the bed, she flung herself off the cot and quickly exited the cell. Three hours on her own was enough to remind her of why she was so desperate to find more survivors.

"_What are you saying?" She scoffed, incredulous as she realized what the redhead was implying. "Take a look around you, for all we know, we could be the last humans left alive. Why would anyone want to-"_

"_Because it's human nature!"_

_The brunette crossed her arms over her chest, fixing Claire with a look that sent shivers down her spine. "Look, a lot's happened to you, Claire. A lot's happened to me, too. But we can't automatically assume everyone is out get us."_

"_You can't assume they're out to be your friends either."_

"_I understand why you don't trust anyone-"_

"_I trust you." _

_Alice's expression softened. Reaching out, she cupped the redhead's cheek. The contact made her realize just how much she'd missed human contact. Human warmth. Claire closed her eyes, leaning into the touch, her shoulders dropping as her body slowly began to relax._

"_I trust you, Alice."_

Alice's pulse stuttered. It had been too long since she had to care for someone else other than herself, too long since she had to think for two instead of one. The thought scared her.

"Ah, there you are!"

She froze, that voice sending an unpleasant feeling to the pit of her stomach. She tried not to seem too unfriendly as she turned and greeted its owner.

Bennett.

The creepy, curled haired director flashed her what she guessed was his attempt at a smile. It was more of a sneer really.

"Bennett." She greeted curtly, quickly searching for an excuse to leave his side. This man really put her off. She could see herself pounding his face into the wall.

"Bennett my ass, I know you have a plan."

Alice blinked at him. "Plan?"

He chuckled dryly, beady eyes darting back and forth. "The walls have ears. Don't think I don't see your little friend over there whispering to Angel."

Angel.

Alice scanned the seating area out of her periph .

Sure enough, Claire and Angel were sitting together, conversing quietly amongst themselves. Her heart fluttered. "So what? Can't she talk to him?"

"Listen, sweetheart," he snarled, sarcasm practically dripping from his words, "I'm not stupid. I know you three are planning something. I didn't make it as a big Hollywood director being daft. Whatever your little plan is, I don't give a flying fuck as long as I get to get the fuck out of here." Reaching into his back pocket, he produced a wad of rolled up cash. Removing the rubber band, he licked his fingertips and began flipping the bills. "How much is it going to take? Huh? A thousand? Five thousand? Name it."

Alice clenched her jaw, momentarily seeing red. Was this fucker insane? He must be! She willed herself to calm down. She knew too many men like Bennett who thought they could own the world with their money, who thought they were above everyone else. These were the men responsible for own personal hell.

Cocking her head to the side, she gave him a forced smiled. "I'll get back to you on that."

Spinning on her heel, she stalked the rest of the way down to the tables. She'd been stupid to believe that just maybe, through the errors of the past, they'd learned the lesson.

"_I trust you, Alice," Claire stated, "but I don't trust them. And neither should you. You don't know what these people are capable of doing if it means getting out of here."_

"_If I can't trust them, I can't trust you."_

_Claire gave the brunette a curt nod, stepping out of reach, hurt in her eyes, acceptance in her voice. Yeah, she and Alice had a lot more in common than she would like. She believed saving these people was the ticket to redemption the way she thought saving Kmart would help ease the pain and guilt of losing Jesse._

"_You know better than I do that I would never hurt you."_

Angel discreetly studied his surroundings under the pretense of making conversation with Claire. Things were getting tense, people's hackles were rising. The hopelessness of their situation was quickly sinking in. Already he noticed a change in the way his partners moved, a little more guarded, always looking over their shoulders. The way they spoke, with an edge to their tones even when they laughed. Their smiles were too wide, too toothy.

He twisted in his seat, setting his chin in his hand as he study Claire.

At least she was straightforward about the fact that she didn't like them. The frown on her pretty face said it all to him. She was concerned. And why shouldn't she should be? So far, Luther and Bennett came off as being wolves, Kim Young and Krystal were the sheep, and he was the outsider. ALL of them were desperate to get out.

"If I didn't think you could be helpful, I would have decked you already."

Angel raised a brow. Claire faced him slowly, taking in his profile. He was a well built, dark, handsome man with a crooked, boyish smile and warm brown eyes. A bit short by her standards, but essentially well proportioned. She had no doubt in her mind he could his own against pretty much anything that came his way should the occasion arise.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, a light blush tingeing his cheeks. "I was thinking."

"About?"

"How you keep watching her."

Claire blinked. "Oh."

"You seem very protective of her." he said casually, following her thoughtful gaze.

At the end of the eating hall, as he called it, Kim Young sat with Bennett, his face pale as the creep whispered hotly. Two tables down, Krystal tried her best to seem nonchalant, her eyes trained a little hard on an outdated, faded magazine. Luther was no where to be seen while Alice took her sweet time strolling around.

Claire scoffed at the idea of Alice strolling around. If she knew the brunette at all, then she knew everything Alice did she did for a reason. Squinting a little into the dimly lit shadows, she couldn't quite help feeling a bit on edge. She was studying the prison. Studying the staircases to be more precise.

"I owe her a lot." That was an understatement; she owed Alice her life.

Angel made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Something tells me it's more than that." He drawled, his accent making him seem less of a threat to Claire for some odd reason.

"You would know."

"And you don't?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"I don't know the truth." she sighed, dragging her attention away from the subject of their discussion. Angel stared right at her, his eyes attempting to penetrate her, to read her. To understand her. Well good luck with that because she couldn't seem to understand herself. "All I know is, she found me." _In more ways than one. _She shook the thought off. "Why do you care?"

"A general lack of TV."

The ex marine hissed, rubbing his shoulder. The redhead was faster than he thought. And she packed quite a punch, too. The two shared a private smile, finding comfort in the fact that there might be a chance that there was one other person in the world that might be able to see things the way they did.

"So have you spoken to her?"

"About?"

Angel sighed, exasperated and amazed by her ability to sabotage him. "About leaving here."

She thought long and hard. Say they all did manage to leave, then what? They were all so determined to leave the relative safety of the prison. But what if there was no where to leave to? What if this was it? The thought disturbed her.

"What if there's nothing out there?" She'd thought this before, but it had never really impacted her quite like this. Alice, Krystal, Kim Young, Angel, even Luther and Bennett: what if they were the last remaining survivors? What if there was nowhere for them to go?

"You have to believe there's someplace out there where things aren't so bad." The marine said softly.

"What if there is some place? What if we get there? What then?" Doubt. It trickled into her heart slowly, wrapped its inky fingers around her lungs, and gave them a squeeze. "Angel, take a look around you. We're stuck inside prison with a couple thousand zombies surrounding us. We have a plane that seats two people and a boat that may or may not be the answer we're looking for. Even if it is, what happens after we get there? The entire world is dead. Our friends, our families, everything we knew? It's all dead. What do we have to look forward to?"

"Being alive."

Angel and Claire whirled, obviously not having expected Alice to sneak up on them. The brunette looked grave, eyes darting back and forth between the two before settling on the redhead.

Rain, Kaplan, Matt, Lisa, Spencer, Terri, Dr. Ashford, Peyton, Angela, LJ, Mikey, Carlos… Jill; the faces of all those she'd lost haunted her conscious, her memories. They didn't chose to die. They wanted to live. For Claire to sit here and question whether or not life was worth living left a bitter taste in her mouth. If they had the opportunity, anyone of those faces would take her place in a heartbeat. Her fists shook at her sides, a look of pain on her face.

"You don't know what you're saying, Claire."

"Don't I?"

Claire saw it then. The reason Alice was so deadest on saving them, the reason she really didn't want to remember…

It was always there, wasn't it? That clenching in her stomach, the dryness in her mouth, thinking, thinking, always thinking. Guilty.

Before Alice could think to respond, the sounds of guns blaring somewhere beneath them plunged them into silence. Several guns were being fired simultaneously and soon the sounds of screaming and shouting followed.

It was what everyone feared.

A surge of adrenaline shot through Alice's body propelling her into action. "Everybody get ready to run!" She shouted over her shoulder, jerking her own weapons out of the chest holsters.

"Head to the highest floor! Stay together!" Claire barked, hot on Alice's heels. They easily weaved and dodged through the maze of metal chairs and tables, leaping over obstacles as they made their way to the staircase. "What the fuck are they shooting at?" She panted, excited, terrified.

"Just get ready."

Ready? Her eyes widened. It dawned on her that it might be zombies coming up those stairs greet them. This would be her first up close and personal encounter with the undead creatures since her memories replayed themselves.

A cold sweat glistened her skin. She racked her brain for the most terrifying creature she could think of. The fleshy, twisted grin of decaying humanoid beast smiled at her. For Claire Redfield, there was nothing more horrifying than a zombie.

Except for this

"Hey."

The two women came to an abrupt stop, nearly toppling over each other in their sudden halt. The bright flames of a torch licked at the walls of the narrow hallway, making the shadows dance upon the face of none other than Luther West. The tall ex basketball player bore an unreadable expression, his dark eyes taking them in.

"We heard shots." Alice stated, peering past him into the shadows. There was nothing there.

"I thought that might get your attention."

"Get my-"

CLICK…

Alice stared down the barrel of her stolen Magnum. Her breath left her for a second. She wasn't afraid, but the thought of her mortality ignited something inside of her.

Luther smiled grimly at the two women, motioning for them with the gun. "You're coming with me." He told Alice, grabbing her by the wrist. "You stay put." He ordered the seething redhead, pointing the gun at her. "Don't try anything funny."

Claire bit her lip nervously. Brain dead zombies chasing after her was one thing. A perfectly functioning man with a gun pointed at her face was a different thing entirely. Zombies had no intentions- Luther had all the wrong ones.

"Where are you taking her?"

"Upstairs." He said cheerfully.

Claire knew a delusional man when saw met one. Luther was beyond delusional. Maybe even insane. The thought of death constantly knocking at one's door could do that to a person.

In the end, she couldn't blame him entirely for his actions. That didn't mean she hated him any less. "I won't let you take her."

Luther blanched, the redhead's movements startling him as she lunged for him, his wrist snapping up, his gun firing into the darkness as he dropped the torch to the ground.

He couldn't tell how many shots he'd fired, nor when Alice had freed herself from his grip but the reassuring yelp that followed did wonders for his confidence. He fired twice more, the sound of flesh tearing soothing in his ears. Satisfied, he lowered the gun to his side, breathing heavy, his nostrils flaring. Feeling with his hands, he pressed his palms against the coolness of the wall and used it to lead him up to the stairs. If he couldn't see, no one else could see either and so he made his escape. It would be easy enough to spin some tale to the others about how the girls had died. It was a shame really, having to kill such beautiful women but he had his priorities. Now that the biggest threats were out of his way, there was only one thing left to do.

Wait. He would wait until midnight, when everyone was sure to be asleep before he made his next move. He held the power now, and with that power he would chose someone he deemed worthy to accompany him to Arcadia.

A slight pang of disappointment momentarily disabled him as he reached the end of the staircase. The basement was a sector of itself and so was treated like one. A large steel door had been placed at the end of the passageway, effectively cutting of the basement from the rest of the prison. He really wished things could have been different where Alice was concerned. Pushing his weight against the door, he slid it into place, sealing the two women to their fate.

Whatever that may be.

"Feeling guilty already?"

Luther spun around, the gun already raised and ready to take out whatever other threat that might get in his way. Seeing the other's man amused smirk, he lowered it, shaking his head.

"You wouldn't know anything about guilt, would you?"

The man shrugged, "You're right."

Luther stared at the ground, his brow twitching. "Yeah…"

"Have you got a solid case?"

"I went to check on the prisoner, he got lose and killed the girls. I shot him back and finally killed him."

A nod. "You spin a pretty a lie, Luther West. I always knew you all Hollywood types were the same. You make a living out of lying so why not lie to save your life."

"I always knew you corporations types were one in the same; cheating, murderous bastards."

"Yes, well," Angel popped his neck, then eyed the dark man with a look of disgust on his face. "dog eat dog." His expression darkened, a contorted sinister mask. "And you're right. I have no conscious. I feel no guilt. You've done enough of that for the both of us the last two years."

_Dun dunn dunnnnn!_

**AN: HAPPY -late- THANKSGIVING! Sorry I took so long to update guys. Life got in the way. With exploding cars. And exploding turkeys. **

**Anyway, despite him being a dick so far, I decided (after watching RE4 twice) that I kind of like Luther West. He's an okay guy. So needless to say, I'm making him less of a dick (or giving him a really good reason to be one.) Want to find out what that reason is? Well you'll have to R&R to find out why. *Muwha!***

**Cheers!**


	7. Not Human, Not Anymore

She'd been shot before. A million times it seemed. She'd grown this kind of immunity to fear where it concerned guns that allowed her to possess a kind of power over it.

But nothing could have prepared her for the absolute hopelessness she felt as that gun was raised and aimed at her chest. All her thoughts, hopes, fears, and dreams came crashing down on her at once. If she died, she would never get to recover her memories or figure out who she was. If she died, she would never know if there was something more out there for them. If she died she wouldn't be able to say to Alice everything she wanted to say…

Oh god, no!

The second Luther blinked she struck. She dropped down into a crouch and swept Alice off her feet. The way the brunette yelped told her she'd accidentally hurt her, but a bruise or two was something she could forgive herself for causing. Her death? Not so much.

Bullets rang and echoed off of the corridor walls, bouncing chaotically all around them. Through some divine intervention (or really good reflexes) she managed to dodge almost every bullet. Almost. Her breath hitched as the flaming metal pierced through her hand. The pain that followed was beyond intense. She didn't recall getting much further past the staircase but that's where she was.

There was a large, concrete room dimly lit by torches. The walls were solid steel, and besides the staircase, there didn't seem to be much in terms of an escape route.

"What is this?…" She asked, eyes wandering. Using her free hand she drew it across her eyes. Her stomach recoiled in disgust as the foul stench of blood hit her full force. Whatever (or whoever) it was, it had been dead for a few days now. She swallowed roughly against the dryness in her throat, the pain from her hand and the fuzz in her head serving to do a whole lot of bad.

"Today is so not my day."

"Mine neither."

Claire's eyes shot open, her breath caught in her chest.

"Alice?…"

The brunette fell to her knees beside her, her arms wrapped around her in an instant. "I'm sorry, Claire. I'm so sorry I didn't believe you." She whispered, the urgency in her voice was dizzying. Her hands roamed every inch of her body. "Are you hurt?"

Claire stared at her, too shocked and too relieved to form words. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes- she couldn't recall ever being so happy so see someone. The words she formed refused to break past the boulder sized lump in her throat- it almost literally hurt to speak.

It seemed forever, but somehow she managed to tear her gaze away from those haunting Cobalt eyes. Alice's eyes always remained her of a whirlpool- so beautiful, so enticing, inviting… But once caught within its depth, it was impossible to escape.

"A-Alice," she stuttered, her voice trembling badly. Speaking of whirlwinds…

"Shh." Alice cooed, smoothing a lock of her hair away. "You fell down the stairs, Claire." She could tell from the far away look in her eyes that the redhead was still disoriented. Her attention was drawn to the crimson slipping between her fingers. The makeshift bandage was already soaked through. "I need to get you out of here."

Claire bit her lip, fighting against the urge to upchuck yesterday's lunch. She didn't feel right. Nothing felt right except for Alice gently pulling her up to her feet, her strong arms supporting her as they took the first step.

Inside the concrete room was a giant steel and glass cell situated at the center. Holes were expertly carved into the 12 inch thick glass to provide fresh air then lined with steel to prevent any attempt at breaking through the weaker glass. The door looked to be at least a hundred pounds and the locks appeared more complicated than Alice cared to think. Inside the cage was a lone bed- if a ratty mattress sat atop a wire spring could be called a bed. As they passed alongside the cage, she couldn't help the defensiveness that claimed her posture.

Someone or something was inside that cage before. It was gone now. The thought of being locked inside a sealed room with something lurking in the shadows brought a cold sweat to her brow. The stench that permeated the air only served to confirm her suspicions: she recognized the smell of death like she recognized her own reflection in the mirror.

She was human again and that meant many things. It meant feeling her humanity; it meant not being a freak; it meant it was okay for her to be scared; it meant perfection was just as far out of her reach as anyone else's; it meant being able to feel again without being afraid of having that torn away from her; it meant loving Claire.

But it also meant she was no longer invincible; she wasn't Superman anymore; she couldn't shake off a bullet and outrun a car; she couldn't leap off the side of a building and brush it off; she couldn't use her powers to destroy that which her hands could not; it meant her life… It meant her life because if she had to, she would protect Claire with her very life.

"Look..."

Claire's voice snapped her from her internal conflict at once. The way she called to her brought back memories of times long past. Following her gaze, the knot in her stomach intensified.

There, just around the corner of the giant glass cage was a figure on the ground. His body was curled up, his hands reaching forwards as if he'd been crawling before his body finally gave up on him. The cause of his death was not apparent, but judging from the amount of blood pooled around him, she guessed one of two things: someone shot him, or something ate him. She couldn't hope for a dead man, but she could hope for herself and Claire. She hoped his death was by human means.

"Come on," she spoke quietly, "This way."

Despite Alice's pled for her not to look, Claire couldn't help it. As they passed by his body, she glanced over her shoulder and looked into his lifeless eyes. He was a handsome man, clean shaven and short, buzzed hair. His green eyes were a shade similar to her own but not quite. A strange thought crossed her mind- she would have liked to have met this man. There was still a smug smirk on his face, even as he'd bled out from a series of gun wounds.

"Guess we know what Luther was shooting at." She said under her breath. Her head felt a little better, she didn't feel as weak anymore. But it also meant she was now all too aware of the blinding pain coming from her hand.

Alice chose not to comment. The guilt was already eating away at her. If she'd listened to Claire, they wouldn't be here right now. If she'd listened to Claire, she wouldn't be hurt; they wouldn't be stuck. Her eyes narrowed, a low rumble rising from her chest. She would make Luther West pay, if it was the last thing he did, he would pay.

"It's not your fault."

Alice jerked to a stop, her head swiveling towards Claire. The absolutely most gorgeous olive toned eyes looked her way, telling her that everything was okay, that they weren't there to judge but to comfort her. She'd never really taken the time to fully appreciate the beauty of her express eyes. It was not something she planned to take for granted again.

"I should have listened to you," she choked, feeling torn. "You would never-"

Claire's lips crashed against her effectively stopping any words she had to say. Her heart hammered so brutally against her chest it felt like flesh over breast was on fire; she could hear its unsteady, chaotic rhythm drumming fiercely in her ears. Her blood reached a boiling point, every inch of her being come alive and on fire. Claire moaned softly into her mouth, the tip of her tongue teasing her lips in a way so amazing she felt the world was slipping out from beneath her feet. The room was spinning like a top, the torches feeding from the fire within them to feed their own. For a moment, for just a split, beautiful moment there was no prison, no bars, no infection, no zombie, no world- just them.

When Claire drew away, she did so slowly, afraid to let go. Her eyes remained shut (the darkness in her mind was a comfort against the darkness of this world.) Her hands remained locked in a tight grasp with Alice, their lips grazing as they panted like tired dogs. She need that contact between them so badly it hurt.

"I'm going to get us out of here." Alice said, her voice sure. Icy cobalt eyes shot open, a determination of magnificent proportions lying within them. "I'm getting us out of here, Claire."

Claire smiled softly, "Alice…"

"I just realized something- I don't want a second to go by without you. So I'm going to get us out of here."

"_Jesse!" Claire shouted, watching in horror as her gun slid out of reach. She whipped her head around and froze. Everything was moving in slow motion._

_The grizzly, undead Doberman leapt into the air, its canines glinting in the moonlight, a thick black liquid dripping down its shredded lips. Its eyes burned yellow and locked her in its sight, promising her a painful death._

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

_The dog landed with a sickening crunch, a whimper dying on its lips with a final BANG of the shotgun._

"_You're not going to die on me now, we've come too far." Jesse panted, crouching down beside her. "I meant it, Claire, I'm going to get us out of here."_

_Claire gawked up at her savior, at her timid yet playful smile, at the fire burning inside her vibrant grey eyes- and a tear slipped down her cheek. That light was quickly fading._

This time she didn't attempt to fight the stinging in her eyes, she simply let them fall. "Okay…" She choked, burying her face into Alice's neck. "Okay."

* * *

The cold night air brushed through her hair and caressed her bare skin like a lover's cold lips tasting her. Above her the deafening roar of the helicopter's blades continued pounding away at the night sky, beneath her the glassy surface of the ocean reflected the galaxies far beyond her reach. She wondered- if she flew out into space, would all of this world's petty problems be as small and insignificant as she felt compared to the stars? She doubted anyone would ever have the answers to her questions.

Then again, everyone was only human.

But not her. Not anymore.

Ripping her gaze from the ocean, she fixed her eyes on her pale hands. She could see her veins, big and black, pulsing beneath her skin. With every slow, timed beat of her heart they shifted inside of her. She frowned at her hands. Whatever was inside of her hurt. If aliens existed and they could really burrow their way through flesh and bone she imagined this is what it might feel like- like a million razor sharp claws hacking at the very fibers of her being, slowly… painfully…slowly…

There was no rest for her, no mercy; this was her own personal hell on earth.

"Are you confident you can complete the mission?"

Her muscles rippled, her jaw clamping shut. Strands of her hair whisked back and forth before her eyes as she turned her head away to face the front of the chopper. The two pilots briefly glanced at her then quickly turned away. Pretending to glare at the pilots was a great diversion for seeking out weapons in the cabin. So far she'd counted 10 M-16s, 10 Uzis, 10 desert eagles, and an entire case of prototype grenades, flash bangs, and incendiaries. Multiply that times the ten choppers deployed on this mission and that added up to leveling an entire large city. They meant business this time.

"I'm going in first. No one follows. If I need help, I'll let you know." She said, her voice hoarse and low. The authority behind it left no room for discussion and that was just the way she liked it. "Do you understand?"

The soldier saluted then quickly retreated back to his seat, presumably to report back to base. She would personally take care of him later.

Was she confident that she could complete this mission? There was no doubt in her mind.

"Ma'am! We're ready to deploy!"

A vein began throbbing in her neck. She hated to admit it, but this was like a game to her- the hunter vs. the hunted- and it was anybody's guess who the hunter would be or become. Bitter, acidic blood filled her mouth as she chewed through her lip- she could taste the excitement, the adrenaline, and the slightest bit of fear.

As the man who's called her attention walked past her, she lunged out, took his head into her hands and with a single yank tore his head clean off his shoulders. His warm blood splattered across her face, its heat instantly warming her cold body. Ignoring the bugged eyed soldier gawking her way she tossed the head out into the ocean. His body continued twitching and spilling out its contents on the floor.

"My name is Valentine." She growled and smirked, the smell of urine filling the cabin. "Clean that mess up, Aarons."

* * *

AN**: Dun Dunn Dunnnnnnnn! Hey guys. I apologize for taking so frigging long to update, life kinda just got in the damn way. I've decided I'm going to take this story in a whole new different direction. Don't worry, you'll enjoy it very much. Please read and review, let me know if you have any ideas. I plan on updating at least once a week and I more than likely will but bare in mind not everything always goes according to plan. **

**Cheers guys!**


	8. Check It

**Does anyone still read this? Man I hope so because I've got some news for you. I've come back to my roots lol. I've put off working on this story (and a few others) for far too long. I apologize for the long ass hiatus stories are like new lovers to me- fun and exciting at first but gradually growing boring and uninteresting until I realize there's some charm to them yet (usually) :)**

**So look forward to the new & improved, "My Life To Dream" which will now be called, "The Strength of Men" ft a better more developed plot, new characters, and a deeper analysis of the characters we all love & adore. Also if you're a Res Ev fan- Retribution is in theaters next week! I'd love to discuss the new movies & game so hit me up! **


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